Grandeur marks district Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in Kushalnagar

Cultural extravaganza marked the inauguration of Kodagu district 11th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in Kushalnagar on Tuesday.

Thousands of people witnessed the convention which was staged in Kushalnagar after 23 years. Writer S C Rajashekhar presided over the Sammelana. A cultural procession was flagged-off after prayers offered to Cauvery idol.

In his main speech, Rajashekhar said there is a need for efficient leadership to tackle the problems faced by Karnataka. He said the Cauvery issue has been haunting the state for a long time. The unsolved issue resurfaces every year, creating hatred, he said. Kasargod is still not been merged with Karnataka. Kannada language has not been recognised in NEET, Rajashekhar said.

Karnataka does not need leaders who nod their heads before the leaders in the centre. Instead, there is a need for leaders who have solve the problems with their will power. The medium of instruction is a burning issue in the state. Mother tongue can alone be the medium for acquiring knowledge.

He recalled the contributions of poets like Da Ra Bendre, K S Nisar Ahmed and others to Kannada literature.

Schools and colleges have been facing shortage of teaching staff, which has been affecting the students. If someone studies in Kannada medium, they face the problem of unemployment, he said. He stressed that Kannadigas should also get equal job opportunities as others. Also, all written communication in Vidhana Soudha should be carried out in Kannada.

District Kannada Sahitya Sammelana former president Mahabaleshwar Bhat, Virajpet taluk Arameri Kalancheri Mutt seer Shantamallikarjun Swami, MLC Veena Acchaiah, Sunil Subramani, ZP president B A Harish, vice president Lokeshwari Gopal and district Kannada Sahitya Parishat president  B S Lokesh Sagar were present on the occasion.

MLC blames district administration
During his speech, MLA M P Appacchu Ranjan expressed his displeasure over non-cooperation by the district administration for conducting the district Kannada Sahitya Sammelana. Only because the MLA of the constituency belongs to the BJP, the district-level officials have not given any cooperation to the sammelana committee members.

District In-charge Minister M R Seetaram said the Kannada Sahitya Parishat has been striving for the development of Kannada in Kodagu. He meanwhile personally contributed a donation of Rs 50,000 towards the Sammelana.