Kannada & Hindu activists protest against Urdu in signboard

Karwar: Urdu script that appeared on the signboard of the Town Municipal Corporation (TMC) Office of Bhatkal town in Uttara Kannada has incited a row between Kannada-Hindu activists and Muslim community members. This comes after controversy over the use of the Devanagiri script in signboards in Karwar, The New Indian Express reported.

In Bhatkal, Kannada-Hindu activists demanded the removal of Urdu from the municipal office sign board, which was recently renovated, while Muslim members wanted to keep it. The activists who demanded removal protested on Tuesday for the removal of Urdu.

Succumbing to pressure, the authorities decided to remove Urdu, but Muslim community members crowded in large numbers and started a counter-protest. Subsequently, arguments arose between the two factions.

A Kannada activist said that adopting local languages to sign boards cannot be tolerated. Adding Urdu will start a precedent for other languages like Konkani, Marathi, Navayath etc., seizing the importance of Kannada, the major language in the state.

But a Muslim faction member said that they accept giving importance to Kannada. But there are Urdu boards too, and Urdu is an Indian language, being in use for centuries. It should not be given "stepmotherly" treatment. Urdu has been in use in Bhaktkal TMC since colonial times, and therefore Urdu on the signboard must remain, the member asserted.