Bengaluru: Every year on November 1, the Karnataka Formation Day is celebrated with much fanfare across the state. But this time it may not prove to be happy occasion for the State’s theatre owners who have been asked by various pro-Kannada groups to play only Kannada language movies throughout the month. The State completes 62 years of its formation on November 1.
The Dharwad Kannadapara Sanghatanegala Okkootta (Dharwad Kannada Organisations’ Association) has asked all theatre owners in the city to play Kannada films "to show their love for the language and culture". The demand comes a week after the association met the deputy commissioner requesting to release an order in their favour but did not receive an answer.
The members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), another pro-Kannada organisation, has decided to hold a “peaceful protest” wherein the movies goers will have to pass “agitating protesters” to watch a non-Kannada film.
"We have written to all theatre owners in the city to show only Kannada movies the entire month to celebrate the state's language and culture. If they do not agree, we will protest peacefully outside the theatres," said KG Yellappa, state president, KRV, adding: “While we will not stop people from going to those theatres that run films in other languages, they will have to pass agitating protesters at the entrance,” he said.
Meanwhile, in view of the formation day celebrations by various organisations and a rally by Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi and Shiv Sena to protest against the central government, at least 700 police personnel will be deployed in the Belagavi district.
The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi, which claims to represent the Marathi-speaking population, has been campaigning for the merger of Belagavi with Maharashtra.
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