Girl from Kannamangala bags Vidyasagara Bala Puraskara

“Girls are always admonished for everything. Are they so inferior? Boys are not chided even if they laze around the whole day. If we go to someone’s house, we are showered with questions – Where did you go? Why did you go? For what purpose? Do girls not have freedom?” This article reflecting the pain, feelings, frustrations and ambitions of women is by K N Amrutha, a Class 10 student of Tummanahalli Government High School in Shidlaghatta taluk, whose works have bagged her the state-level award, ‘Vidyasagara Bala Puraskara’.

The award instituted by Sandhya Sahitya Vedike in Shahapur, in the memory of young poet Vidyasagara Kukkunda who passed away at a very young age, is given to children below the age of 16 in November of every year.

“Amrutha’s work shines among those of young creative minds from all over the State. So she has been awarded the first place,” said Dr Suresh Nagalamadike, one of the judges.
K N Amrutha from Kannamangala village studied in Kannamangala Government Higher Primary School before she moved to Tummanahalli Government High School. Her stories such as ‘If this continues, I will surely fail Class tenth’ (‘Heegadare tenth failaguvudu guarantee’), ‘Father, don’t you have any desires?’(‘Appa ninagenu asene ilva?’), ‘Environmental pollution’ (‘Parisara malinya’), ‘My Grandmother’ (‘Nannajji’), ‘My mother has no peace of mind’ (Nemmadiye illa nannammanige’), ‘Pigs’ (‘Handigalu’), ‘How was my pain?’ (Nanna novu hegittu’) and poems like ‘Do I also believe this?’ (‘Naanu idannu nambteena?’), ‘The doubt in me’ (‘Nannallina anumaana’), ‘Are these grand mothers?’ (‘Ivarellaa ajjigala?’) and the Kannada play ‘Sasula Chinnamma,’ written after watching a Telugu play in the village, shows the variety in her writing.

“The literary atmosphere in the Kannamangala school gave me confidence that I too can write. With the support of Vasanthkumar of the Sneha Prakashana publication, a collection named ‘Shamanti’ is brought out annually. It is a compilation of articles written by students of Kannamangala Government Higher Primary School. This has helped bring out the talent of many students. I was very happy when my articles were also published in the book. ” said Amrutha. She added that the teachers in Tummanahalli Government High School too have been very encouraging. “It is a matter of pride that a girl child from our village has been presented with this State award. It will be a motivation for other rural children, especially girls. Since Amrutha, a talent of ‘Shamanti’ has received the ‘Vidyasagara Bala Puraskara,’ it has encouraged our Sneha Prakshashana team as well,” said Vasanthkumar of Sneha Prakashana in Kannamangala.