lMysuru: Observing that prose is the core constituent of Indian literature, Jnanpith awardee and Kendra Sahitya Academy Chairman Dr. Chandrashekhara Kambara has said that Dr. S.L. Bhyrappa’s works are a reflection of many forms of prose.

He was speaking after inaugurating the two-day S.L. Bhyrappa Sahityotsava-2019 organised by S.L. Bhyrappa Sahitya Pratishtana at Kalamandira in city this morning.

“I am scared to argue with Bhyrappa as I cannot keep pace with his ability to argue with alacrity and accuracy on issues,” Dr. Kambara said.

Pointing out that Dr. Bhyrappa successfully took on the neo-writers at that time, Dr. Kambara said he had a great respect for the Saraswati Samman Awardee.

Referring to his association with novelist Dr. Bhyrappa for decades, Dr. Kambara recalled an incident when he (Kambara) was the Vice-Chancellor of Hampi Kannada University. “Many books in the Un iversity Library were on the brink of getting destroyed due to floods. But, Bhyrappa came to my rescue and joined me in saving and restoring the damaged books, after camping in Hampi for eight days,” he recalled while noting that Dr. Bhyrappa had also helped him on many other occasions.

Commenting on the debate on the Government’s decision to introduce English medium in Government primary schools, he said that in 1835, the then British Viceroy Lord Macaulay constituted a Committee on the model of education that India needed. The Committee had eight members, which included four Britishers and four Indians. Among the four Indians was Raja Ram Mohan Roy, who advocated that India needed the British model of education. Macaulay, heeding to Roy’s observations, decided on introducing English model of education in India, he said.

Noting that everyone was excited about the British model of education then, Dr. Kambara regretted that Indians fell prey to ‘yes culture’, which has unfortunately continued as can be seen in the emulation of Western culture nowadays.

Bemoaning that ‘yes culture’ has made us lose our pride and identity, he said that many great writers such as Rabindranath Tagore have written about a feeling of inferiority complex among Indians.

Writer Shatavadhani R. Ganesh said that many of Dr. Bhyrappa’s works focussed on a sympathetic and conscientious mind and it was more propounded in his work  Sakshi. Pointing out that many of Bhyrappa’s works including Avarana and Uttarakhanda were runaway hits, he said that Bhyrappa always strived for intellectual advancement.

Writer and linguist Dr. Pradhan Gurudatta released the book titled Chintana-Manthana, a collection of interviews of Bhyrappa. Writer and columnist Shefali Vaidya, writer and humourist Prof. M. Krishnegowda, S.L. Bhyrappa Sahitya Pratishtana Hon. Secretary Dr. G.L. Shekar and others were present.

More than 800 writers, scholars and enthusiasts from across the State, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and other parts of the country are taking part in this two-day event, which features lecture sessions by eminent authors and scholars. The two-day literary meet will conclude tomorrow with humourist Gangavathi Pranesh, writer and thinker Dr. Nand Kishore Acharya and other scholars in attendance.