Even as the three-language formula has heated up Tamil Nadu police and reached the Supreme Court, the Kannada Development Authority on Thursday petitioned Karnataka Chief Minister S Siddaramaiah to adopt the two-language policy in the state.

The petition was forwarded by Kannada Development Authority chairman Prof Purushothama Bilimale, who has been advocating the two language policy in Karnataka for the past some time.

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Incidentally, he had wanted the state to do an in depth study to examine the impact of the three language formula in operation in the state. In a recent interview to a leading local publication, Bilimale had said that neighbouring Tamil Nadu had a two language policy –Tamil and English – and if it benefited the people of that state, Karnataka should also adopt the two-language formula.

Bilimale said that Kannadigas working in industrial areas of Delhi and other northern states were few, and despite learning Hindi under the three language formula, fewer Kannadigas have been able to secure jobs there.

Incidentally, language activism has taken roots in Karnataka, the most peaceful of the states and one which has few languages other than Kannada dominant in few areas, due to incidents involving forceful Hindi advocacy by migrants and overbearing behaviour of some bank officials who insisted that locals learn Hindi for conversing with them.

Instances like these, sporadic and isolated, though angered the Kannada language activists who got into the act, defaced signages at Metro stations, painting out Hindi messages on signboards at Metro Station in Bangalore, and forcing shops and business establishments to have signboards in Kannada language as per the law applicable in the state.

Only recently, Chief Minister S Siddaramaiah had also hinted that from next academic year, Karnataka would also opt out of the National Education Policy, which has become the bone of contention in Tamil Nadu. Central government has also withheld education funds of Rs 2000 crore to Tamil Nadu linking it to the state’s refusal to accept the NEP that the state fears contain provisions that will impose Hindi in the state.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also batted for Karnataka language today when he said that Kannada first stand in the state, with directives to all government offices to give primacy to Kannada, was to protect and promote the local language of the state.