Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 28: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday responded sharply to actor Kamal Haasan’s controversial remark that “Kannada is born out of Tamil,” expressing pity over what he termed a lack of awareness about Kannada’s ancient history.
“Kannada has a long-standing history. Poor Kamal Haasan, he is unaware of it,” Siddaramaiah said, underscoring the deep roots of the Kannada language and suggesting Haasan’s comments were misinformed.
The comment sparked a political and cultural debate, especially in Karnataka, where pride in the Kannada language runs deep. Several leaders and cultural representatives condemned Haasan’s reported statement, calling it both historically inaccurate and unnecessarily divisive.
Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad joined in, terming the comment “unfortunate” and unnecessary during a time when the country requires unity.
“The Kannada language has a history of thousands of years. Kannada and Tamil are both ancient and foundational to our country’s culture. Is this debate even necessary?” Arshad asked.
Meanwhile, in Tamil Nadu, the controversy took a different turn. DMK Spokesperson TKS Elangovan defended Haasan, suggesting that the actor’s remarks might have been a historical reference rather than a slight against Kannada. He accused the BJP of politicizing the statement for divisive gains.
“The BJP is trying to create problems by misrepresenting historical facts. A language’s value is not about where it was born, but how it is used,” Elangovan said.
Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagenthiran adopted a conciliatory tone, urging calm and unity, stating that “all languages are ours.” He acknowledged that there may be differences in opinion regarding linguistic origins but emphasized shared cultural heritage.
In contrast, BJP Karnataka State President Vijayendra Yediyurappa took a strong stance, demanding an unconditional apology from Kamal Haasan.
“He has insulted Kannada and the self-respect of 6.5 crore Kannadigas,” said Vijayendra, accusing Haasan of belittling Kannada’s identity.
The controversy underscores the sensitivity surrounding linguistic and cultural identity in India, especially between neighboring southern states with rich and ancient linguistic traditions like Tamil and Kannada. Scholars from both linguistic backgrounds have long debated their mutual influences, but political leaders across the board called for restraint and focus on unity in a multilingual nation.
Contextual Note:
Kamal Haasan has not yet issued a public clarification regarding the statement. Both Kannada and Tamil are classical languages recognized by the Government of India, each with over 2,000 years of literary history.