Read more to become good poet: Child prodigy

These are not the words of a senior literature or a critic, but of a VI standard student. These are the observations by Vitasha Riya, who also edits a hand-written bi-monthly ‘Mandanila’.

“The folk culture of rural children is on the verge of decay due to increased admiration towards English. Grandmas have disappeared; Ma has become mummy; the kind of literature which were being produced by litterateurs like Kuvempu and Panje is decreasing,” she said after being honoured by Mangala Kala Sahitya Vedike of Parkala at a function held at Vighneshwara Sabhabhavan here recently.

The entire auditorium remained spell bound listening to the innocent words of the young talent at the programme. The budding poet from Teerthahalli, Vitasha Riya, spoke from her heart, true to her pen name ‘Muddu’.

Vitasha has already published two poetry compilations ‘Hoo Gonchalu’ and ‘Kanana Kalarava’. She has received prestigious awards too. She was studying in Navodaya school earlier. After V standard, she was particular that she should study in Kannada medium, and presently she is the VI standard, at a village Kannada medium school.