Bantwal: No Question of Shutting Down Kannada Schools - DVS
News: Mounesh Vishwakarma
Pics: Amtoor Digitals
Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (RD/CN)
Bantwal, Nov 18: The 17th DK District Kannada Sahitya Sammelana was inaugurated at Satya Sai Education Institution, Alike, here on Friday November 18.
Speaking after inaugurating the Sammelana, chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda said that the government would take all steps to ensure that Kannada is protected and no compromise would be made in this regard.
"Efforts will be made to implement Kannada software to promote Kannada," he added. He also urged people to give special importance to Kannada in regions near Karnataka border.
"There is no question of shutting down Kannada medium schools," he asserted. Kannada medium schools that have less student strength will be merged with other nearby schools in order to revive Kannada," he said.
"A delegation led by Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Dr Veerendra Heggade will follow up with the union government in securing classical status to Tulu," he added.
DVS held discussions with Kerala CM Ummen Chandy in New Delhi recently, on the issue of encouraging Kannada medium schools located on Karnataka-Kerala border. He also asked the Kerala CM to allot 5 acre land in order to develop infrastructural facilities at Sabarimala for the benefit of Kannadiga devotees arriving on annual pilgrimage there.
Puttur MLA Mallikaprasad inaugurated the ‘Kannada Bhuvaneshwari’ procession at Panchalingeshwar temple, Vittal, at 7.45 am.
Sitaram Poojary also inaugurated the Sammelan by lighting the lamp. Taluk panchayat president Shailaja P Shetty offered a floral welcome to Kannada Bhuvaneshwari.
Kallenjipade Taniappa Nalike inaugurated the cultural programme. Swami Mohandas of Manila Mutt was present on the occasion.
Over 29 cultural troupes participated in the procession. Diverse cultural troupes staged various shows during the procession.
Sammelana president Dr Taltaje Vasant Kumar, Satya Sai Lok Seva education institutions correspondent U Gangadhar Bhat, district Kannada Sahitya Parishat president Pradeep Kumar Kalkura, taluk Kannada Sahitya Parishat president B Tammayya, and Vittal gram panchayat president Ramanath Vittal arrived at the venue in an open jeep.
Addressing the gathering, Dr Taltaje Vasant Kumar said, "Kannada thrives when one lives as per Kannada culture. It becomes a widely spoken language. The language cannot be greater than culture. When culture faces oblivion, its language also faces decline."
Dr Kumar elaborated on burning issues such as the decision of the state administration to shut down Kannada medium schools that lack students. “This move by the state will deprive rural children of schooling. Kannada thrives in rural villages since its spoken widely,” he added.
He also lauded the literary contributions of Ratnakar Varni, poet Muddana, Manjeshwar Govind Pai, Muliya Timmappayya, M N Kamath, Kadengodlu Shankar Bhat, Seidiyapu Krishna Bhat, Kayyar Kinhanna Rai, Shivaram Karant, Gopalakrishna Adiga, and Niranjan.
Dr Kumar also acknowledged the contributions of ‘Akashvani’ in airing diverse Kannada programmes and the local TV channels for telecasting various programmes in Kannada for a larger audience, as also the Kannada dailies, fortnightlies, and farming bulletins.
Alike gram panchayat president Kana Eshwar Bhat hoisted the national flag at the Sammelana ground. Pradeep Kumar Kalkura hoisted the Kannada flag while Shailaja Bhat hoisted the Sammelana flag.
Sati Sai Lok Seva Trust secretary Madakatte Eshwar Bhat hoisted the flag of Alike Education Institutions.