97-year-old Prof G V to Preside Over Kannada Sahitya Sammelana

Bangalore, Nov 11 :  Lexicographer and scholar Prof G Venkatasubbaiah will preside over the 77th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana to be held in Bangalore between December 24 and 26. 

The sammelana will be held at National College grounds in Basavanagudi. The 97-year-old Venkatasubbaiah has been known for his work on dictionary and has edited 10 volumes of Kannada-Kannada dictionary.

Kannada Sahitya Parishat executive committee, which met in Bangalore on Wednesday, unanimously selected Venkatasubbaiah, popular as GV, to chair the sammelana. Other names figured in the list of probables included Dr Hampa Nagarajaiah,  Dr M M Kalburgi, Dr M Chidanandamurthy and Dr C P Krishnakumar.

Parishat president Nallur Prasad told reporters that the executive committee unanimously chose Prof Venkatasubbaiah for the honour. “I hope every Kannadiga is happy with the selection of Prof GV”, he said.

Venkatasubbaiah was born in Mysore in 1913. He obtained his postgraduation in Kannada from Maharaja’s College in Mysore and taught for decades in Maharaja’s College and Vijaya College in Bangalore.

Venkatasubbaiah said he is happy for being selected for the honour. “I am two-year-older than the Kannada Sahitya Parishat which was set up in 1915. I never expected this honour”, he said.  He said in Bangalore, only 20 per cent of its total population speak Kannada. Unless children of the present generation are taught Kannada, the language will die. “My appeal is that Kannada should be the first language for students of 1st to 10th standard in all schools of Bangalore,” he said.

Nallur Prasad said preparations for the sammelana were on in full swing. The Iskcon had agreed to provide quality food for the delegates of the event at subsidised price.

The organisation would serve food for at least one lakh people each day during the event. The parishat had identified 25 choultries to provide accommodation for the delegates.