Mysuru, Oct. 29 – The Kannada language boasts a rich literary and cultural legacy spanning over 2,000 years. In recognition of its immense historical significance, the Government of India accorded Kannada the status of a Classical Language in 2008.

Yet, 17 years after the establishment of the Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Kannada (CESCK) in Mysuru, the institute continues to function without a dedicated permanent building.

Even more concerning is the meagre funding it receives from the Central Government — a stark contrast to the generous support extended to Tamil Nadu for its classical Tamil initiatives.

Ironically, despite Mysuru being the home district of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and with influential leaders like H.D. Kumaraswamy, Pralhad Joshi, Shobha Karandlaje and V. Somanna serving in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Government, Kannada has not been accorded the priority it deserves.

Classical status in 2008

The Central Government declared Kannada a Classical Language on Oct. 31, 2008. However, due to lack of funds, actual work began only in 2013 —five years later.

The first Director was appointed four years after that and since then, four Directors have completed their terms. Prof. N.M. Talawar currently serves as the fifth Director.

Despite Kannada’s classical status, the annual grant from the Centre is limited to just Rs. 2 crore — far below the Rs. 10 crore to Rs. 15 crore Tamil Nadu receives annually for its Tamil classical research.

Within these modest means, CESCK has managed to conduct 210 lectures, publish eight books and prepare 22 more for release. These figures underscore how severely classical Kannada studies are constrained.

Tamil, which received Classical Language status in 2004, has a dedicated building in Chennai and conducts year-round research and cultural programmes. By contrast, Kannada’s progress remains stagnant even after 17 years of recognition.

The Centre has so far granted classical language status to 11 languages, including Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Bengali, Pali and Prakrit. Yet, Kannada continues to lag due to insufficient institutional support.