Classical Kannada Centre to continue in Mysuru

The confusion over the location of the Classical Kannada Centre has been cleared as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, himself has directed that the centre continue in Mysuru.

It has to be recalled that a pressure group was lobbying for its re-location toBengaluru. At some point of time, the scholars fighting for retaining the centre in Mysuru gave up.

However, D G Rao , Director of the city-based Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), under which the centre is presently functioning, said, now that the row over its location has been resolved and that the new director for the centre has taken charge, it will start functioning for the development of the language. Durga Das is the new director of the centre.

A committee has been formed with the CIIL as the nodal agency and L Hanumanthaiah, a member, had advocated the centre's re-location to Bengaluru. Writer N S Taranath had submitted a separate report, advocating the need for retaining of the centre in Mysuru. The CM facilitated a truce between the groups and convinced them that it would be better to continue the Classical Kannada Centre in Mysuru in the interest of the development of the language, said Rao.

Besides, the University of Mysore (UoM) has already spared a building for the centre in Manasagangothri, he said.

UoM in-charge Vice Chancellor C Basavaraju said that the UoM has already given the centre independent professors residential quarters from where it is functioning. "Our wish is to retain the centre on our premises. Once, the centre gets funds for construction of a building, we will allot lands also," he said.