Call for united fight to protect Kannada land, culture

Mysore/Mysuru: The day-long first ever City Kannada Sahitya Sammelana got off to a colourful start this morning with the Sammelana Chairperson and veteran woman writer Aryamba Pattabhi, accompanied by City Kannada Sahitya Parishat President K.S. Shivaramu and District Kannada Sahitya Parishat President Dr. Y.D. Rajanna, being brought in a procession on a motor-powered Sarot (Chariot) from Kuvempu Statue at the main entrance to Manasagangothri from Bogadi road side to Vijnana Bhavan in Manasagangothri campus. 

A host of folk troupes too were part of the procession.

Actor ‘Mukhyamantri’ Chandru, who is also a former Chairman of Kannada Development Authority, inaugurated the day-long event by lighting the lamp along with other dignitaries.

Speaking on the occasion, ‘Mukhyamantri’ Chandru regretted the consistent decline of a united struggle for the cause of Kannada land, language and culture, which is now facing serious threat from outside forces. 

Stressing on the need for a united struggle to save our land and culture for generations to come, he said that Mysuru should take the lead role in leading a wholly united front to save Kannada land and culture. 

Condemning the efforts to impose Hindi on non-Hindi speaking people, Chandru said that though we do not oppose Hindi as a language, it is wrong to say that Hindi is the only national language. 

Emphasising on the need to resist imposition of Hindi, he called upon litterateurs and literary bodies to take the issue seriously and oppose the Centre’s efforts to propagate Hindi through forced means                              and ways.

Former Karnataka Nataka Academy Chairman Srinivas J. Kappanna released a book titled ‘Preetigelli Beli’ on the occasion. Former Sanskrit University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Padma Shekar, MLAs L. Nagendra and Tanveer Sait, former Mysuru ZP President K. Marigowda,  Dr. H.K. Chetan, Special Officer to the University of Mysore Vice-Chancellor, Dr. C. Venkatesh, State President of Delhi based Bharatiya Dalit Sahitya Academy and others were present at the Sammelana.