Central University of Karnataka celebrates 71st Rajyotsava with special lecture
The event in Kalaburagi focused on the history of the Karnataka unification movement and the importance of preserving the Kannada language.
The Central University of Karnataka, Kalaburagi, organised a special lecture titled “The Path to the Unification of Karnataka” at its university auditorium on Monday to mark the 71st Rajyotsava, according to The Hindu.
Head of the Department of History and Archaeology Venkatarao M. Palate delivered the lecture, stating that the creation of Karnataka resulted from a long struggle involving activists, political leaders, and Kannada language advocates.
Palate noted that before Independence, Kannada-speaking areas were spread across the Bombay, Madras, and Hyderabad provinces, as well as the princely State of Mysore. He identified the 1890 founding of the Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha in Dharwad, the 1915 creation of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat, and the 1924 Indian National Congress session in Belagavi as key milestones.
Vice-Chancellor Battu Satyanarayana presided over the programme and said that remembering the unification history must include efforts to promote Kannada culture and literature. He mentioned that the States Reorganisation Commission, led by Fazl Ali, helped integrate these regions through linguistic reorganisation.
Satyanarayana also highlighted that teaching in the mother tongue helps students grasp subjects more effectively in fields like information technology and higher education. Registrar R.R. Biradar spoke on addressing regional disparities by implementing the Govinda Rao Committee and Nanjundappa Report recommendations.
The programme was attended by various faculty members, including Ganapati B. Sinnur, Panduranga V. Patti, and Safiya Parveen Basavaraja Donur, among others.