Kannada organisations intensify opposition after South Western Railway again excludes Kannada from promotion examinations scheduled later this month
The controversy over the exclusion of Kannada from South Western Railway promotion examinations has resurfaced after authorities rescheduled the test for June 25 without including Kannada as a language option. The decision has triggered fresh protests from Kannada organisations, which argue that the move undermines the linguistic rights of railway employees in Karnataka and discriminates against Kannada-speaking candidates seeking career advancement within the railway system.
Bengaluru: A fresh language dispute has erupted between Kannada organisations and the Railway Department after South Western Railway (SWR) rescheduled a promotion examination without providing candidates the option to write the test in Kannada. The examination, which was previously postponed following widespread protests, is now scheduled to be held on June 25, reigniting tensions across Karnataka.
The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Karave) has strongly opposed the decision, alleging that the Railway Department has once again ignored the interests of Kannada-speaking employees by restricting the examination to English and Hindi. The organisation has warned that it will not allow the examination to be conducted in its current format and has announced plans for statewide protests at examination centres.
Railway Promotion Exam Rescheduled Amid Kannada Language Controversy
The latest controversy revolves around the promotion examination for the post of Goods Train Manager in the Mysuru Division of South Western Railway. According to the revised notification issued by railway authorities, the Computer Based Test (CBT) will be conducted on June 25 under the 15 per cent Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LDCE) quota for Level-5 posts.
However, Kannada has once again been excluded from the list of examination languages, with candidates being allowed to take the examination only in English and Hindi.
The decision has angered Kannada activists, who point out that a similar examination had earlier been postponed after strong opposition from pro-Kannada groups over the same issue.
"The Railway Department had an opportunity to correct its mistake after the earlier protests. Instead, it has repeated the same decision by excluding Kannada again," Kannada activists alleged.
Karave Warns of Statewide Agitation Against Railway Department
The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike has announced that it will launch an aggressive statewide agitation if railway authorities fail to revise the notification.
Karave State President T.A. Narayana Gowda accused the Railway Department of disregarding the linguistic rights of Kannadigas and warned that the organisation would intensify its protests at examination centres across Karnataka.
"The South Western Railway administration must immediately withdraw these circulars and issue fresh orders allowing examinations in Kannada. If this is not done, the examination scheduled for June 25 will not be allowed to proceed," said T.A. Narayana Gowda.
He further stated that Karave activists would stage demonstrations at examination centres in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi and other locations where the tests are scheduled to take place.
73 Railway Promotion Posts Covered Under Examination Process
The ongoing dispute is linked to promotion examinations being conducted for a total of 73 vacancies across different categories within South Western Railway.
The vacancies include:
- • Office Superintendent – 39 posts
- • Senior Clerk – 25 posts
- • Intermediate Apprentice Mechanic – 9 posts
According to Kannada organisations, candidates competing for these promotions are being compelled to take the examinations only in Hindi and English despite serving in Karnataka.
Activists argue that employees who have worked for years within the state should be given an opportunity to write departmental promotion examinations in Kannada as well.
Previous Kannada Protests Forced Railway Authorities to Postpone Exam
The current confrontation follows a similar episode earlier this year when railway promotion examinations were scheduled without Kannada as an examination language.
At that time, activists from Kannada organisations staged protests at examination centres in Bengaluru, Hubballi and Mysuru. The demonstrations disrupted the examination process, prompting railway authorities to postpone the tests.
Many Kannada groups believed that the postponement would result in a revised notification accommodating Kannada-speaking candidates. However, the latest notification has retained the same language structure, leading to renewed criticism.
"This is not merely about an examination. It is about respecting the constitutional and linguistic rights of Kannada-speaking employees working in Karnataka," Karave leaders stated.
Kannada Language Rights Become Central Issue in Railway Recruitment Debate
The dispute has once again highlighted the longstanding debate over the representation of regional languages in central government services operating within linguistic states.
Kannada organisations contend that excluding Kannada from departmental examinations creates disadvantages for employees whose primary language is Kannada. They argue that promotion opportunities should not be restricted by language barriers when employees are serving within Karnataka.
Railway officials have not yet issued any public response regarding the latest objections raised by Kannada organisations.
With the June 25 examination date approaching, tensions are expected to intensify unless railway authorities revisit the language policy for the promotion examination.
For now, the confrontation between South Western Railway and Kannada organisations appears headed toward another major showdown, with both sides standing firm on their respective positions.
