Literary meet demands rejection of Kasturirangan report

Six resolutions were adopted on the third and concluding day of the 80th All India Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in the city on Thursday. 

Chief among them was the one appealing to the government to totally reject the recommendations of the Kasturirangan Committee report on the Western Ghats on the ground that it does not help the cause of people in Kodagu district.

C K Ramegowda, honorary secretary of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat, moved the resolution at the public meeting. Another resolution condemned the inaction of the State government against MLAs belonging to the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti, who made inflammatory statements against the State. 

The two resolutions received cheers and claps from the audience. The third resolution condemned the demand by BJP MLA Umesh Katti for the bifurcation of the State. 

The next one pertained to the demand that the proceedings in the High Court of Karnataka should be in Kannada. The resolution said that the State legislature should pass a resolution, so that the High Court proceedings are conducted in Kannada. It said the Governor should take the President’s permission so that the court’s proceedings can be conducted in Kannada.

The other resolutions were: Appealing to the government not to close down Kannada schools on the State’s border areas and to supply textbooks on time to students there; to make singing of the State song (Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate, composed by Kuvempu) compulsory every day in all schools, including private and English medium institutions.

Pundalika Halambi, president of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat, said the Parishat did not have the Constitutional powers to implement the resolutions, but can only appeal to the government to enforce them.   

English medium opposed

Prof D Javaregowda (Dejagow), former vice-chancellor of Mysore University, said on Thursday that an agitation should be launched against English being made the compulsory medium of instruction for PhD, by the University Grants Commission (UGC).He was speaking at the 80th All India Kannada Sahitya Sammelana. “Who is the UGC to make English mandatory for PhD?” he asked. The writer demanded that the UGC should withdraw its order in this regard. Dejagow also demanded that Kannadigas should get priority in jobs in nationalised banks. 

Halambi apologises

Kannada Sahitya Parishat president Pundalika Halambi apologised on Saturday to Sammelana president Na D’Souza for making him cut short his speech on the inaugural day. He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event.