The message is clear: Don't neglect Kannada

Rajyotsava fervour: Flag hoisting, book release, processions mark the day

“I did not bow to any pressure or external influence while selecting the awardees. The selection process was transparent and only merit was considered,” Gowda said after felicitating the winners of the 56th Rajyotsava awards, at a function here on Tuesday evening.

He said he decided to cap the number of Rajyotsava awards to 50 this year to retain its credibility. He said he would not like to interfere in the selection procedure next time as it is a very sensitive issue. He felt the need for introspection on selection of the right candidates for the award and said the awardees should set an example for others.

The awards were conferred on Deccan Herald Editor K N Tilak Kumar, Kannada scholar Shantinath Dibbad, Hindustani musician Balachandra Nakoda and Delhi-based Kannada scholar Purushottam Bilimale and several others. Except Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Harish Hande and London-based Kannada scholar Dr M N Nandakumar, all the award winners were present.

Protest

Though Sadananda Gowda earlier had clarified that the State government would leave it to the discretion of the Zilla and Taluk Panchayats to decide  on the closure or merger of the Kannada medium schools with poor student strength, activists of Karnataka Janashakthi and Karnataka Vidyarthi Sanghatane staged a protest at the venue. As soon as the award presentation ceremony began, the activists raised slogans. The police immediately forced them out of  the auditorium.

Education in Kannada

As the issue of education in Kannada took centrestage across all Rajyotsava celebrations, Visveshvara Hegde Kageri, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, said on Tuesday that parents could teach their children English, but at the same time not neglect Kannada.

Speaking at the 55th Kannada Rajyotsava organised by the Department of Education, he said it was necessary for the State to draft a clear-cut policy.
“We need several languages for conducting business, but one should retain the respect and love for the mother tongue,” he said.

Along with measures to protect the language, he said the government was ready to take the suggestions of thinkers from time to time to promote the language, he said.

Reiterating the government’s decision to provide primary education in Kannada medium, he said the government was waiting for the decision of the Supreme Court on the issue of medium of instruction, but it would focus on providing quality education with Kannada as the medium of instruction.

A City book shop chose to celebrate Rajyotsava by bringing out 55 Kannada books by as many authors and felicitated the authors. Speaking at the event, Sri Ravishankar of Art of Living rued that the reading habit was declining among the youth and requested the authors to encourage it.

Speaking about the 55 books that were released, he said they had to be translated into English so that they reach a wider audience. “The vachanas and works like Mankuthimmana Kagga should be available to all,” he opined. 

Author Sudha Murthy compared the 55 books to 55 types of sweets and confessed that is was difficult to choose.

Tableaux procession

The annual tableaux procession held by the Kannada Samrakshana Samithi on MG Road made its presence felt this year as well. More than 10 vehicles displaying noted historical figures passed through the road, attracting the attention of the people who had come for the joyride on Metro.

Various other organisations in the city celebrated the day by hoisting the Kannada flag and organising cultural programmes.

Earlier in the day, a procession was taken out from Mysore Bank Circle through Kempe Gowda Road, City Railway Station, Anand Rao Circle, Seshadri Road, KR Circle and Nrupathunga Road. Taking part in the procession and drawing the crowds were tableaux with profiles of Jnanpith award winners and artistes performing folk dances.