Stating that Karnataka has people speaking more than 200 languages, Siddaramaiah said, whatever language people speak here or whatever caste or religion they belong to, they are all Kannadigas. Those who consume air, water and food are Kannadigas, he told the gathering.

He said that Kannada is a very ancient language with a history of 7,000 years. Therefore, the Center has also recognized it as a classical language.

Siddaramaiah appealed to the people never to sacrifice the Kannada language.

“I am not opposed to being liberal. In fact, I support being liberal, but not at the cost of sacrificing our language,” the chief minister noted.

“Our affection for our language should not be extreme, but we should never give up our pride in our language. We should all love Kannada,” he added.

For Kannada to grow, people living here must become Kannadigas, Siddaramaiah said.

“I will never say don’t learn another language. Keep improving your linguistic wealth but never forget to speak in Kannada,” he said.

He reminded people that November 1 is not only the formation day of the state but also the anniversary of the naming of Mysore State to Karnataka by the Chief Minister of the At the time, the late D. Devaraj Urs.

A cultural program with the theme ‘Hesarayithu Karnataka, Usiragali Kannada’ (the state was given the name of Karnataka, now Kannada is expected to become the blast) was organized on the occasion.