MLC regrets silence of writers and intellects over textbook revision

Mysore/Mysuru: Regretting that writers and other intellects were not raising their voices in full against unscientific and irrational revision of school textbooks, which has turned out into a huge row, MLC A.H. Vishwanath said that any wrong decision of a democratically elected Government should be condemned in strong terms.

He was speaking after releasing writer Prof. Basavaraj Naik’s work ‘Amarashilpi Jakkana mattu Deshabhimani Rayanna’ at a programme jointly organised by District Kannada Sahitya Parishat, Kannada Sahitya Kalakoota and Chintana Chittara Prakashana at Kannada Sahitya Bhavan in Vijayanagar First Stage here on Sunday.

Bemoaning that writers, Kannada activists, Seers and such others are not condemning the school textbook revision, probably fearing that they may lose benefits of the Government, Vishwanath  also took exception to the language being used by politicians to hit out at each other. The use of such language will bring down the dignity of Kannada, he observed.

Expressing disappointment that there are no public debates going on regarding  the pros and cons of the recently introduced Anti-Conversion Law, the MLC wanted to know why Seers representing different castes were silent on the issue, when the law had many shortcomings.

Questioning why members of various Kannada bodies including Kannada Sahitya Parishat were silent when great personalities such as Kuvempu, Basavanna and Dr. Ambedkar are being insulted, he said that they should at least question the Government’s actions on textbook revision at least now, before it is too late.

Vishwanath also argued that just like Vachana Sahitya, Bandaya Sahitya, Dalit Sahitya and the like, political literature too should be given a place in literary space.

Writer H.S. Renukaradhya, District Kannada Sahitya Parishat Mysuru President Maddikere Gopal, Kannada Sahitya Kalakoota President M. Chandrashekar, Chintana Chittara Prakashana’s Ningaraju Chittannanavar, District Sharana Sahitya Parishat Mysuru President Dr. Helavarahundi Siddappa and others were present on the occasion.

This post was published on June 7, 2022 6:33 pm