Harsha Raj Gatty

StoryInfinity for Daijiworld

Madikeri, Oct 15: Admonishing the Madikeri Dasara Committee (MDC) for rolling-back on poet’s symposium in its Rs 50 lac Dasara budget this year, litterateurs will go solo and organise a poets' meet to promote budding talents. Tagged as ‘Santrastarige Santwana – Bandavarige Tanniru’ (solace to flood victims and cold water for invitees) the symposium anticipates the participation of nearly 20-30 poets this year.

"While we agree that given the recent pain and suffering of the district, the celebration has to be kept simple in solidarity with the sufferers, singling out the poet's meet is uncalled for," Ramesh Utthappa, president of Dasara Bahubasha Kavigoshti Samiti says.

Every year, Utthappa said the poets committee receives a budget of Rs 60,000 towards the event, stay, memento, food and accommodation of the visiting participants. "Yet, we have to pool and bear the additional amount which we do so without any qualm. But with the cancellation of event, the MDC is creating a notion, as if the poet's meet is the major consumer of their resources and we are simply fighting against it," he says.

The Dasara Bahubasha Kavigoshti Samiti has decided to organise ‘Madikeri Dasara Paryaya Kavigosti (poets meet without aid)’ to bring forth ideas, visions and give strength to people on October 16 at Madikeri Bal Bhavan. The poets at the meet will centre theme their poems on the challenges, pain and impact on people in the backdrop of Kodagu floods and will console the victims. The multi-lingual meet will see the participation from flood victims and writers like Nagesh Kaluru, Kudekal Santhosh and journalist Savita Rai. "Unlike last year, we may not be able to provide great care or even participation mementos and facilities but will make sure the participants will receive a glass of water," he adds.

Besides cancelling poet’s event, the event coordinators have also decried the cancellation of sporting event during Dasara. "It’s an irony that MDC is calling off performances by the young and budding talents and performers, whereas during the initial phase of tendering for the event they were even considering a stage decoration proposal of over Rs 8 lac," he says.

Meanwhile, reasoning the deviation of the decade old annual poetic event, a person familiar with the working of MDC says that the organisers plan to use a part of this year’s funds to settle last year’s Dasara celebration debts. “Last year over Rs 32 lac was spent for stage and decorations for Dasara celebrations. The fund fell short and the contractors were not paid. Hence, MDC has decided that a part of the funds received will be used to clear the arrears,” he adds.