Protest against Railway Board withdrawn after employees’ appeal

The controversy began when the Railway Board decided to conduct promotion examinations only in Hindi and English, triggering strong opposition from Kannada groups.

Hubballi: Kannada organisations have unexpectedly withdrawn a planned large-scale protest against the Railway Board over its decision not to offer Kannada as a language option in departmental promotion examinations. The move comes after hundreds of Kannada-speaking railway employees appealed to activists not to disrupt the upcoming examination scheduled for June 25.

The controversy began when the Railway Board decided to conduct promotion examinations only in Hindi and English, triggering strong opposition from Kannada groups. Their earlier agitation had successfully forced the cancellation of the examination, with activists demanding that Kannada be included as an examination language.

However, the situation took a different turn after more than 200 Kannada-speaking railway employees approached the organisations with a written request. The employees expressed concern that any further postponement or cancellation of the examination could severely affect their careers. Many candidates are reportedly nearing the upper age limit for promotion eligibility and fear losing a crucial opportunity if the test is delayed again.

According to sources, the employees urged activists to consider their professional future and allow the examination to proceed without disruption. They argued that while the demand for Kannada remains valid, another cancellation would end up hurting Kannada employees themselves rather than benefiting them.

Taking note of these concerns, Kannada organisations decided to suspend their agitation and withdraw the proposed dharna against the Railway Board. Activists said the interests of Kannada-speaking employees must take priority and that they did not want their protest to become an obstacle to deserving candidates seeking career advancement.

The development has been welcomed by railway employees, many of whom were worried about the uncertainty surrounding the examination. While the demand for the inclusion of Kannada in Railway recruitment and promotion examinations continues, the organisations have indicated that they will pursue the issue through other democratic means without affecting employees’ immediate career prospects.

The promotion examination is now expected to be held on June 25 as scheduled, providing relief to hundreds of candidates awaiting an opportunity for advancement within the Railway Department.