Literature hub Dharwad decks up for Sahitya Sammelama

The countdown has begun for the mega literary event 84th Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana to be held at Dharwad, the hub of literature, music and education.

The campus of the University of Agricultural Sciences campus with its green and clean environs is decked up for the three-day event beginning on January 4.

Dharwad is hosting the meet after a gap of 61 years. It was in 1957 that Dharwad hosted the 39th Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana. It was the first all-India Kannada literary meet after the reorganisation of states, where all Kannada-speaking areas were brought under one state - Karnataka. The venue of the 39th meet was RLS High School ground and poet K V Puttappa (Kuvempu) was the Sammelana president.

The 84th Sammelana will have eminent writer Chandrashekhar Kambara as the president. The people in the region were disappointed with the central committee of the Parishat not considering renowned writer G S Amur, who is from Dharwad and who is in his 90s, to preside over the Sammelana.

However, Dharwadians did not make it an issue as Kambara is from neighbouring Belagavi district.

The district administration headed by deputy commissioner M Deepa Cholan is handling logistics support like getting the venue ready, food, transportation, accommodation, water supply, security and electrification.

The government, on its part, has released Rs 8 crore as against the demand for Rs 12 crore for the meet. The organisers are hoping that the government and private organisations will compensate for funds shortage.

A total of 20 sessions will be held during the event. There will be sessions on the role of universities in protecting and promoting Kannada literature, on folk art, songs and dance.

The Sammelana has incorporated a session on water management. The session will have deliberations on Mahadayi, Kalasa Banduri naala projects, pending water projects of Krishna and Cauvery rivers and meticulous use of water.

In the session on protection of language in border areas, there will be deliberations on the status of Kannada schools in border areas, Mahajan report, problems of Horanadu Kannadigas, steps to prevent government schools from closing down, the role of RTE, problems faced in education in mother tongue and improving the standards of education.The fest will also highlight issues on democracy, intolerance and the uniform civil code.

Along with jowar rotti, which is famous in the region, the participants will have an opportunity to savour ‘ragi mudde and soppina saaru,’ from the south, besides a variety of sweets and other dishes native to the region.