Beltangady: Literature should Promote Communal Harmony - B'lore Varsity VC
Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady (SP)
Beltangady, Nov 25: Vice-chancellor of Bangalore University, A N Prabhudeva, speaking after inaugurating the 79th annual Sahitya Sammelan organized on the occasion of Lakshadeepotsava at Dharmashala on Thursday November 24, argued that religion and literature should work in tandem to contribute to peace and law order, apart from strengthening the fabric of communal harmony.
“We should be proud of the fact that Kannada, which occupies No.2 position as far as history of Dravidian languages is concerned, has bagged eight Jnanpith awards so far. Kannadigas have every reason to feel proud about this feat,” he said.
Prabhudeva recalled that the Halegannada poets and writers like Pampa, Ponna, Ranna, etc had kept service to the motherland and language uppermost in their minds while creating literature.
“The Ragales written by Harihara and Sangatya literature of Raghavanka in Nadugannada also contributed greatly to communal harmony. As we are aware, Vachanas gave rise to a social revolution in erasing differential treatment of people on the basis of castes, creeds, religion, etc. ‘Anubhava Mantapa’ envisaged by Basavanna was the first ever parliament in the universe,” he said. He requested Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari, Dr D Veerendra Heggade, to expand his area of operation and become the leading force in installing ‘Raja Dharma’ in the state.
Renowned critic, Dr Giraddi Govindaraj, who presided over the programme, asked people to shun inferiority complex they may be having about their language and culture, and insisted that language and culture should blossom on the firm footing of local culture. He said that Indians do not take care to preserve and spread their history and culture.
“The British spread their language and culture wherever they go, but Indians go to foreign countries just for employment and amassing wealth, forgetting the roots of their own culture. We should grow a sense of pride about our language and culture,” he stressed. Pointing out that English literature does have as varied a literature as of the Puranas, legends etc found in Indian languages, Giraddi asked people to understand the importance and creativity of the rich storehouse of Indian literature.
Roopa Hassan, columnist of ‘Prajavani’ Kannada daily, Dr Basavaraj Malashetti Hospet, and Dr Satyanarayan Mallipatna from Mangalore, delivered lectures of different topics at the literary meet.
Dr Heggade announced about the organization of a state level workshop in Dharmasthala shortly about various forms of Yakshagana, to rejuvenate Yakshagana, popularity of which has been on the wane since some time.
Prof S Prabhakar, D Surendra Kumar, D Harshendra Kumar, Hemavati V Heggade, and D Shreyas Kumar were present.
At night, Gaurimarukatte Utsava of Lord Manjunatheshwara was held. Over a lac devotees participated in the Utsava celebrations enthusiastically.