Tamil actor and politician Kamal Haasan caused a stir by claiming that Kannada is just a form of Tamil, but on Wednesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sharply disagreed with this view. What Haasan said at the Chennai audio launch of Thug Life is causing severe disapproval in Karnataka.
Mocking Haasan, CM Siddaramaiah said, “Can you imagine how long Kannada has been around? Sadly, Kamal Haasan doesn’t understand this side of his career yet.” The chief minister pointed out that Kannada is among the oldest Dravidian languages with a longer history than other languages, and such popularity shows a lack of education about language history.
The comment has caused a strong reaction among Kannada supporters and cultural groups everywhere in the state. Belagavi, Mysuru, Hubballi and Bengaluru were some of the cities where protests broke out. There was anger among those demonstrating after what they saw as a slight against Kannada and its culture.
The KRV, among the largest pro-Kannada supporters, is taking a particularly strong position on the issue. T.A. Narayana Gowda, head of the KRV, warned that without an unreserved public apology from Kamal Haasan, his movies will be boycotted all over the state. Kamal Haasan needs to fully apologise to Karnataka’s people for underestimating our language. There will be no screenings of his movies in our state until his projects are finished,” Gowka said at a press conference.
This controversy is now adding to the existing language-related problems between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Both Kannada and Tamil have long and important literary histories in this region, and this makes language a source of emotion in the area. Many have urged everyone in the public eye to talk less and act more responsibly.
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