Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], November 1 : Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, during the 70th Karnataka Rajyotsava, announced that all establishments in the state of Karnataka should have a Karnataka flag apart from the National flag.
The Deputy Chief Minister praised Karnataka as a welcoming state that embraces people from all sections of society. He emphasised that the state's greatest strength lies in its culture and traditions. To promote this further, he stated that all establishments in Karnataka should display the state flag alongside the National flag.
"It is a very great 70th year of Karnataka Rajyotsava we are celebrating. Mother Bhuvaneshwari is accepting everyone. You see, this is the 70th year we are celebrating. We are receiving all section of society to Karnataka, Bangalore. They are coming, they are looking at, because of the best resources, best, good rivers, good employment opportunity and all of them are adjusting here. That is the divine strength of Bhooneshwari. So I wish all the people who are staying in Karnataka a very happy and prosperous life. You see this year, some dams are built, filled twice, thrice. This is the great strength what our rich culture has. The biggest strength of Karnataka and Karnataka is our culture and tradition. We would like to take forward, but at the same time, we are on the way of processing. Keeping from the next year, one month every month, in every establishment, offices, they should have a Karnataka flag, and respect the Kannada flag. We, myself also, my chief minister also, in every office, we are already using it. Apart, along with our national flag, Karnataka as a separate flag. That is the biggest strength and which history has given to us," DK Shivakumar told ANI.
Earlier, Karnataka CM Siddaramiah marked Rajyotsava by calling on the people to embrace the use of Kannada language.
"Karnataka Rajyotsava is not just a festival. It is a sacred day that unites Kannadigas, who are spread across various states, through the umbilical cord of Kannada. On this day, let us proudly remember the labor, sacrifices, and offerings of millions of Kannada enthusiasts who selflessly toiled to make the dream of such a Kannada state a reality. All those who have settled here and built their lives for reasons such as education, employment, and others, coming from other states and foreign countries, are Kannadigas, they are one of us. Let us all--you and we together--embrace the resolve on this day to use and nurture Kannada. May the language of the land become the language of the heart, may the sprout of Kannada burst forth in everyone's chest. Greetings of Karnataka Rajyotsava to our fellow countrymen," he said.
"Our aspiration is that those born and raised in Karnataka soil, and those who come from other states and build their lives here, should conduct themselves in the Kannada language. In this regard, we have issued an order that all offices across the state, shops - establishments, and nameplates of various commercial enterprises must mandatorily use 60% Kannada. Let us respect other languages. Let us love the language of the land, Kannada," he added.