Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the controversy surrounding railway promotion examinations in the South Western Railway (SWR), calling for their early rescheduling with an option to write in Kannada.
In a statement, the CM said the cancelled examinations should be conducted at the earliest, with provisions for candidates to answer in Kannada.
The railways had abruptly cancelled promotion exams scheduled for 194 Goods Train Manager posts across SWR and 101 LDCE posts in the Hubballi division, triggering uncertainty among candidates. The move followed protests from Kannada groups and employees over the absence of a Kannada language option.
Siddaramaiah said thousands of candidates had raised objections in advance, but the authorities failed to respond in time, leading to last-minute cancellation. “Had the department acted earlier and permitted Kannada, the situation could have been avoided,” he noted, terming the handling of the issue as “indifferent and condemnable”.
He further alleged that the issue reflects a broader pattern of Hindi imposition in central recruitment processes, putting regional language candidates at a disadvantage. “This is not an isolated instance. Kannada candidates have repeatedly faced discrimination in central government examinations,” he said.
The CM also expressed disappointment with Minister of State for Railways V Somanna, stating that stronger intervention was expected. “He must act decisively in the interest of the state,” Siddaramaiah added.
Reiterating the state’s position, he said restricting examinations to Hindi and English is unacceptable. “India is a Union of States built on linguistic diversity. We do not oppose Hindi, but we will not accept its imposition over Kannada,” he said, urging the Centre to ensure fair opportunities for Kannada-speaking candidates.
In a statement, the CM said the cancelled examinations should be conducted at the earliest, with provisions for candidates to answer in Kannada.
The railways had abruptly cancelled promotion exams scheduled for 194 Goods Train Manager posts across SWR and 101 LDCE posts in the Hubballi division, triggering uncertainty among candidates. The move followed protests from Kannada groups and employees over the absence of a Kannada language option.
Siddaramaiah said thousands of candidates had raised objections in advance, but the authorities failed to respond in time, leading to last-minute cancellation. “Had the department acted earlier and permitted Kannada, the situation could have been avoided,” he noted, terming the handling of the issue as “indifferent and condemnable”.
He further alleged that the issue reflects a broader pattern of Hindi imposition in central recruitment processes, putting regional language candidates at a disadvantage. “This is not an isolated instance. Kannada candidates have repeatedly faced discrimination in central government examinations,” he said.
The CM also expressed disappointment with Minister of State for Railways V Somanna, stating that stronger intervention was expected. “He must act decisively in the interest of the state,” Siddaramaiah added.
Reiterating the state’s position, he said restricting examinations to Hindi and English is unacceptable. “India is a Union of States built on linguistic diversity. We do not oppose Hindi, but we will not accept its imposition over Kannada,” he said, urging the Centre to ensure fair opportunities for Kannada-speaking candidates.