'Beary-Kannada-English dictionary to be released by year-end'

The Beary-Kannada-English dictionary is likely to be released in the month of either November or December, said Karnataka Beary Sahitya Academy President B A Mohammed Haneef.

Speaking at the launch of the first Beary calender and ‘Belkiri Visheshanka’ by the Beary Sahitya Academy here on Saturday, he said the advisory committee has handed over the first draft of the dictionary. “The draft will be reviewed by experts for two days and suggestions will be given to the editorial board. The editorial board, in turn, will submit the second draft of the dictionary after three months. It will be revised once again by the expert committee and a final draft is likely to be ready by November or December,” he said.

Stating that the Academy has already released a documentary on the Beary community, he said that the equipment and dresses have been given to 40 Daff teams in the region. About 20,000 words have been included in the draft copy, he said. The Beary Academy will purchase 25 cents of land from the Mangaluru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) for the construction of a Beary Bhavana, he informed.

He said that the Beary calender is a first of its kind in history. “The current Islamic year is 1437 AH. In the Gregorian calendar, 1437 AH runs from approximately 14 October 2015 to 2 October 2016. Each month of the Islamic calendar commences on the birth of a new lunar cycle,” he explained.

Launching the Beary calender, Hampi Kannada University former Vice Chancellor Prof B A Viveka Rai said the Academy provides an identity to a language and its literature.

Similarly, the unique calender will provide an identity to the Beary Academy, he added.

“The calenders of the coastal districts are unique, and highlight the religious tolerance of the region. The Hindu calender provides details on the festivals of Christians, Jains and Muslims. Similarly, the Beary calender has provided details of festivals of other religions. Calenders are part of a culture as well,” he said.

Prof Rai suggested to the Academy to include its academic schedule in the calender from next year. “If the calender of events of the academy are included, then it will become a handbook for the people. At the same, a few lines of songs in Beary language can also be included,” he advised.

Journalist Haneef B M said the Academy should document its activities for future generations.

Writer Prof A V Navada said the multi-culture of the land should be protected. “The Basel Mission, under the leadership of Hermann Moegling in 1854, had brought out a calender ‘solze’ for 30 years. The calender is one of the models for others as it had highlighted the language, activities, including the days that are auspicious for carrying out agricultural activities. The calender helped the Missionaries to learn the culture of the land and has documented the diversity of the land,” he added.