Rajyotsava: From organised classes to teaching friends, Kannada spreads its wings

For the past six years, Anil Agarwal has been residing and working in Bengaluru. During his daily commute from Bellandur to ITPL, a journey that takes half an hour, he has found a way to fulfill a long-standing desire: learning Kannada.

Ever since he moved from Lucknow to Bengaluru, Mr. Agarwal had harboured the wish to master the Kannada language, but the opportunity never presented itself. However, in the last month, he got the chance to learn Kannada through a WhatsApp group. During his commute, Mr. Agarwal listens to the audio lessons posted on the group and, as a result, has significantly improved his Kannada communication skills.

Around 300 to 400 people are engaged in learning Kannada through the platform – “Kannada Gottilla”. Anup Maiya, the founder of the platform, which caters to those aspiring to grasp the basics of mastering the Kannada language, said that they have been teaching Kannada to interested learners for the past nine years. In this period, they have successfully imparted language skills to 30,000 people.

“In the initial stages, when we started this platform, our members primarily sought to acquire basic spoken Kannada for daily communication. However, over the past two years, and especially during Covid pandemic, there has been a noticeable shift, with many expressing a desire to learn reading and writing as well. The primary goal of our group has always been to familiarise Bengaluru’s migrant population with Kannada. We have dedicated teachers who adhere to a structured approach. We provide audio files and accompanying notes, and members are encouraged to reach out in case of any doubts. This method enables us to effectively teach Kannada,” explains Mr. Maiya.

Another platform, “Bindaas agee Kannada Mathadi (Speak Kannada Boldly)“, an initiative by Kannada Online Tuitions and Sarjapur Resident Welfare Association, is a free of cost platform that encourages Kannada learning and implementation for regular use. Jagadeesh Kotturashettar, programme coordinator, said, “The programme is for non-native speakers seeking to enhance their Kannada speaking skills. It promotes confident Kannada speaking and encourages embracing mistakes. With five specialised online channels catering to diverse language backgrounds, it allows learning without fear. Kannada Online Tuitions also addresses the challenges faced by non-native students navigating the Kannada language curriculum.”

In addition to organised efforts, Kannada speakers are also taking it upon themselves to teach Kannada to their friends and acquaintances interested to learn the language. Samskruthi J., a resident of Vidyaranyapura, is one such person. “Being born and raised in Bengaluru, I take great pride in teaching Kannada to those who are interested. While many individuals don’t make an attempt to learn the local language, I find fulfillment in dedicating my free time to teaching Kannada to non-Kannada speakers. I do not charge any fees for my teaching sessions,” she said.

Living in Jalahalli and originally from Kerala, Suchitra Sreekumaran has been attending Kannada classes taught by Ms. Samskruthi. Ms. Suchitra said, “Ever since childhood, I’ve had a keen interest in reading, and some of the best books I’ve read are translations from various languages, particularly Kannada. One of my favourite Kannada writers is Srikrishna Alanahalli. As I enjoy Kannada literature, I wanted to learn the language to enhance my communication skills and read the books I loved in their original language. That’s why my friend is teaching me Kannada now.”