'Support Kannada to keep it alive'

Eighth District Kannada Sahitya Sammelana

“Kannada should become life of the Kannadigas. Kannadigas should support Kannada. There is a need to give emphasis to create an atmosphere wherein Kannada is everything. When Kannadigas think of Kannada, then the dream of Kannada can be realised,” opined Kodagu district eighth Kannada Sahithya Sammelan President Prof Padmashekar.

Delivering presidential address at the Government Model Primary School at Pandane in Moornadu, she said “the fight for seeking facilities to Kannada language has not become effective. The competitive spirit is on decline among Kannadigas.”

Among the dying languages in the world, Kannada is also included. However, nothing has happend to Kannada except the lack of political will power. Kannada language will not be affected as long as people speak, she said.

“With the modernisation, the love for mother tongue is on decline. For livelihood, people began to support English language. Accordingly, even IT and BT started projecting English as language for employment. Unfortunately, the government never tried to say that the government job is reserved for only those who have pursued their education in Kannada medium.

The government which has making promises to the Kannada activists never tried to fulfill it. Inspite of the negligence, Kannada has spread its wings to all the directions.

The obstacles have never become hindrance for the growth of the language,” she added.

Prof Padmashekar said the commonman also plays a vital role in preserving the identity of the Kannada language along with the litterateurs. The reactions of those who read literature for gaining knowledge is more important than those who know litearature. When commonman considers Kannada language seriously, the language will survive for long. Unfortunately, commonmen have a kind of negligence toward Kannada language. Such negligence should be removed from the root itself.

“We have not been able to find out how readers have accepted a piece of literature. On the one hand entertainment is a medium, on the other hand change gives inspiration for struggle. However, the greatness of a literature could not be measured with a yardstick.”

A real piece of litearuture purifies the mind. Those who make a study on the literature honestly, will respond to the difficulties of others. They see to it that there is peace and harmony in their family, she opined.

Anxious over Kodagu

Prof Padmashekar said the population of Tamil and Malayalam speaking people in Kodagu are on the rise. However, all are living in harmony.

Those who had come for business have started acquiring land and started settling down in the land. Though the Constitution says that anybody can live anywhere in the country, a time should not come wherein locals have to serach for their identity.

There is a need to create an awareness among the people on Kannada language, literature and tradition.

There is a need to create an atmosphere for the upcoming of Kuvempu and Tejaswi in Kodagu.