Belagavi: 95-year-old service book seals state’s case
On its first page, basic details of employee are written in Kannada, English
BELAGAVI: Amid frenetic collection of historical documents pertaining to border areas by Karnataka and Maharashtra governments to stake claim over several areas on both sides of the border, a team of writers from this border city has discovered a vital 95-year-old government document in Kannada language issued by British rulers to a local resident.
Local advocates point out that it could be an important document to help the government buttress its claim in the Supreme Court that Kannada was the official language of this region.
The document, a service book of a government employee of Belagavi late S D Inchal and printed at the printing unit of Pune's Yerwada jail in 1921, contains wordings in Kannada and English. All digits mentioned in the service book are in Kannada. On its first page, name, religion, caste, place of residence, father's name and date of birth of the employee are written in nine different columns in Kannada and English. In the next pages of service book, name of person appointed, salary, date of appointment and signature of the employee are mentioned.
Late Inchal was also a noted poet of yesteryear and served as the headmaster at a government school in Bhagewadi. According to the records, Mr Inchal was drawing '7 as monthly salary after his appointment in June 1901 and the last drawn salary was '34 in March 1932. The service book contains all terms and conditions besides other service records of Mr Inchal which are still clearly visible.
Mr Inchal's family has handed over the document to noted advocate Ravindra Totiger, president of Advocates Literary Forum. According to Totiger, the service book that belonged to a government employee serving in Belagavi during the British rule, and printed in Pune would help the state's counsel to effectively show how Belagavi city was an integral part of Karnataka historically.
Mr Totiger has collected several similar documents written in Kannada language many of which were issued by British rulers to residents of Belagavi.