Kannada Development Authority Chairman Prof. Purushottam Bilimale at ‘Nirantara Ranga Utsava’

Mysuru: Kannada Development Authority Chairman Prof. Purushottam Bilimale expressed concern that language, community and philosophy are rapidly disappearing in the 21st century.

He was speaking after inaugurating the ‘Nirantara Ranga Utsava’ theatre festival organised by the city’s Nirantara Foundation at Kirurangamandira in Rangayana premises here last evening.

Highlighting three significant developments in the first two decades of the 21st century, Prof. Bilimale emphasised that theatre should engage with these changes and bring them to the people.

“Besides Kannada, there are 230 languages in the State. A review of two decades of statistics reveals that most of these languages are on the brink of extinction. Kannada, which accounts for only three percent of the languages spoken in the country, is facing serious threats,” he said.

“Meanwhile, Hindi is growing at a rate of 66 percent, further endangering Kannada’s survival. For example, the number of Kodava language speakers, which was 55,000 according to the first post-independence census, has reduced to just 2,000 as per the 2011 census. This illustrates how languages are gradually vanishing,” he said, expressing concern that a language spoken by just five percent of the population could dominate in the future.

Prof. Bilimale also noted that communities are facing existential threats. With 18 tribal communities around Mysuru expected to merge into mainstream society in the next 50 years, their customs and traditions are at risk of fading. Additionally, philosophies are losing their relevance, lacking principles that define them. He stressed that theatre has the power to revive and illuminate these philosophies with renewed vigor.

Kavita Ratna, daughter of late theatre personality Na. Ratna, Nirantara Foundation’s Prasad Kundur and Srinivas Suguna, former Rangayana Director Janardhan (Janni), noted theatre personality Rameshwari Varma and others were present.

Later, Srirangapatna’s theatre group ‘Nirdiganta’ performed the play ‘Tindige Banda Tonderaya’. The theatre festival concludes on Dec. 30.