News: Shubhalakshmi
Pics: Hemanath Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Feb 20: "There is a need to introduce an educational policy which helps people to respect their rich culture. The people here have forgotten their culture, and have developed inferiority complex about the culture which has been in existence since the Vedic period, because of the fact that the British introduced a system of education which inculcated an aversion towards our own culture," lamented Jnanpith awardee, and well-known writer and dramatist, Dr Chandrashekhar Kambar.
Kambar was speaking on the occasion of his felicitation, organized by the governing council of Poornaprajna College here, in memory of his association with the college in the form of a lecturer for a year in 1968. “In USA, there is work culture. Work in any form is respected there. Even those who have completed PhD are prepared to mop the floors there, whereas people who have failed to complete SSLC here feel it below their dignity to mop the floor,” he observed.
Dr Kambar accused the British of introducing an education in the country, in which they listed out follies in Indian culture like child marriage, in order to teach people to be ashamed of their own culture. He recollected that even Indian luminaries like Raja Ram Mohan Roy had upheld British-supported education system, which was brought into practice by Macaulay. He recollected that knowledgeable people like Suptanker had nodded when the British claimed that only 8,000 out of 1.4 lac hymns in Mahabharata were original.
He pointed out that the youth of the country prefer to remain unemployed than doing something like agriculture, even when they own land. He advocated revival of rich literature of ancient times to bring back Indian culture. He acknowledged the important role played by Poornaprajna College in his life, recollecting that the then Swamiji of Admar Mutt, Sri Vibhudeshateertha, had felicitated his travel to Chicago, after he got an invitation from the university there.
Sri Vishwapriyateertha Swamiji of Admar Mutt, who is the president of Admar Mutt Educational Trust, felicitated Kambar. He wished that Kambar will continue to contribute further to Kannada literature and culture. Honorary secretary of the college governing council, Dr G S Chandrashekhar, welcomed. Principal, K Sadashiva Rao, presented the college report. Head of Hindi department, Dr Madhavi Bhandary, proposed vote of thanks. Retired principal, Prof Nataraj Deekshit, read the citation.
On the occasion of Dr Kambar’s visit, an interaction with media persons was organized under the aegis of Udupi District Working Journalists Union on Saturday February 18. On the occasion, Dr Kambar expressed the view of even those who do not vote in elections, are an integral part of the political system.
“Voting is a political process. We see that people over 90 years are brought to booths with great difficulty for voting, while many able-bodied choose to remain away from the process,” he said.
He noted that there has been a dearth in drama literature, and regretted that with the increase in the number literates, folklore gets adversely affected. “There is freshness in folklore. Yakshagana is no doubt a folk art. This art form gets credit for even compelling Hitler to witness its performance,” he said. Kambar also came down heavily on television media for glorification of minor incidents.
President of the union, Kiran Manjanabail, welcomed. Shashidhar Mastibal proposed vote of thanks.