<br><div class="gmail_quote"><br><br><div><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span>forwarded by E. Annamalai this from the magazine Frontline. <a href="http://www.frontlineonnet.com/stories/20110408280711300.htmIt" target="_blank">http://www.frontlineonnet.com/stories/20110408280711300.html</a></span><br>
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<font color="green" face="arial, helvetica"><b>Volume 28 - Issue 07 :: Mar. 26-Apr. 08, 2011</b><br></font>
<font size="1">INDIA'S NATIONAL MAGAZINE<br>
from the publishers of THE HINDU
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<font color="red"><b>•</b></font>
<a href="http://www.frontlineonnet.com/index.htm" target="_blank"><font face="verdana" size="-1">Contents</font></a>
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<br><br>
<b><font color="red" size="2">EVENTS</font></b><br><br>
<font color="blue" size="4"><b>
Spirit of Kannada
</b></font>
</p><p align="justify">
</p>
RAVI SHARMA<br>
<i> in Belgaum</i>
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</p><p align="justify">
</p>
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The second World Kannada Conference turns out to be a celebration of
Kannada as representing “a culture, a state of mind”.
</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p align="justify">
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PTI
</font><br>
<img src="http://www.frontlineonnet.com/images/20110408280711301.jpg" align="center" border="1" width="500" height="297">
<br><b>
The procession on the opening day of the conference on March 11.
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</center><p>
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<p>TWO words resonated in the heat and dust of Belgaum throughout the
three-day World Kannada Conference – “Kannadanadu” and “Belagaavi”.
While Kannadanadu signified not so much a nation of Kannada-speaking
people but rather a sense of belonging and oneness among the lakhs of
Kannadigas who congregated from across the globe at the conference,
Belagaavi (the Kannada name for Belgaum) was used to send out a clear
message to neighbouring Maharashtra that Belgaum belonged to Karnataka
and its people. The two States have fought over the status of Belgaum
for over half a century.</p>
<p>The choice of the venue of the Rs.30-crore extravaganza had provoked
an immediate response from Maharashtra, with Shiv Sena supremo Bal
Thackeray stating that “the Karnataka government had chosen Belgaum as
the venue purposely” to provoke Maharashtra. He added that a Kannada
meet in Belgaum would not strengthen Karnataka's claim to the city.</p>
<p>Contrary to expectations, the World Kannada Conference, held from
March 11-13, did not turn into a jingoistic shouting post for Kannada,
as events of this nature generally tend to, nor was it all about the
language. Kannada, which was accorded classical status in 2008, has
become much more than a language, according to Girish Karnad, the
acclaimed writer, director, actor and playwright. Speaking to Frontline,
Karnad explained that Kannada represented “a culture, a state of mind”,
and many people who did not speak Kannada wanted to feel and share the
Kannadiga atmosphere.</p>
<p>Similar thoughts were expressed by Jayant Kaikini, an important
member of Kannada's younger breed of writers. Said the Bangalore-based
writer of short stories, film scripts and poetry: “Kannada is not just a
language, but an environment, a way of living, providing a certain
vision. The language is only part of it. The conference, with its
emphasis on Kannada culture, folk dances, art and lore, served to revive
a spirit that was declining with the onslaught of consumerism and
globalisation.” Kaikini, who chaired the poetry session, added that the
conference went beyond the routine and thus served to boost the
self-esteem of the people. “In the time of urban and money arrogance,
which is indirectly connected to English arrogance, anything with a
local flavour and showcasing Kannada's heritage, folk art forms,
theatre, literature, and so on, is welcome.”</p>
<p>According to I.M. Vittal Murthy, a senior bureaucrat who was
designated Special Officer for the conference, the meet was meant to
“celebrate and herald the achievements of Karnataka and Kannadigas since
the formation of linguistic States in 1956”. Murthy said that the
conference sought a connection between the past, the present and the
future.</p>
<p>To many, the conference, the second of its kind, the inaugural one
having been held in Mysore in 1985, turned out to be a kind of coming
together. It created an awareness and undertook a sort of cultural
stocktaking: to see how far Kannadigas had, in the days of
globalisation, haphazard development, multiculturalism and unbridled
urbanisation, drifted away from their culture, nativity, language and
roots, and progressed otherwise.</p>
<p>The three-day spectacle got off to a noisy and colourful start with a
six-kilometre-long procession. If the size of the gathering was any
indication, it was a grand success.</p>
<p>The procession, which started off in the vicinity of the Congress
Bhavi (or Congress Well, the well that was dug to quench the thirst of
thousands of people who, along with Mahatma Gandhi, attended the 1924
Congress session in Belgaum), included Balarama, the famous pachyderm
which carries the golden howdah during the annual Dasara festivities in
Mysore, and six other elephants. Also in attendance were dancing horses,
Yakshagana performers and over a thousand other folk artistes, all of
whom showcased the multi-hued cultural traditions and art forms of the
State.</p>
<p>The inaugural function at the Rani Chennamma district stadium was
witnessed by over three lakh people. On three rows on the dais sat
eminent personalities from across the State, straddling fields as
diverse as art and culture, literature, music, dance, theatre, cinema,
industry, politics and sports.</p>
<p>Starting off the festivities was a scintillating Hindustani-Carnatic
jugalbandi by Kadri Gopalnath, the saxophonist who has adapted the
woodwind instrument to Carnatic music, and Narasimhalu Vadavatti, the
clarinet exponent. (On the days that followed, there were memorable
performances by the Carnatic vocalist Dr M. Balamuralikrishna, the
ever-popular singer S.P. Balasubramaniam, the music composer Hamsalekha
and the flautist Praveen Ghodkindi, to name but a few.)</p>
<p>Infosys Technologies' chief mentor N.R. Narayana Murthy, who
inaugurated the conference, spoke of the need for a multilingual
environment if Karnataka were to progress but stressed the need to speak
in one's mother tongue at home. Said Narayana Murthy: “I was born in
Siddlaghatta in Kolar district, studied in Mysore and Kanpur, and has
worked in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune and Paris. So I know many languages.
Multiple languages help me in my profession. But I am always a Kannadiga
at heart. We speak Kannada at home. Though I use English for my
official communication, even now I like to express my emotions in
Kannada.”</p>
<p>He also echoed the perspective of many Kannadigas when he said:
“Development of Karnataka does not mean development of big cities and
towns, or progress of software companies. True progress is only when
there is an improvement in the quality of life of the hapless people in
the villages.”</p>
<center>
<font size="1">
PTI
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<img src="http://www.frontlineonnet.com/images/20110408280711302.jpg" align="center" border="1" width="274" height="350">
<br><b>
Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa (right) with Infosys chief
mentor N.R. Narayana Murthy at the meet.
</b>
</center><p>
</p><p>The loudest cheer at the inaugural function was reserved for the
actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan – though detractors questioned the decision
to invite her to the event because, according to them, she had done
nothing for the State – and former India cricket captain Anil Kumble.</p>
<p>Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa announced the establishment of a park
and a glass house on a portion of Belgaum's historical 62.4-hectare
Vaccine Institute to commemorate the World Kannada Conference. He also
announced that henceforth the World Kannada Conference would be held
once in five years and that he would make efforts to get Belgaum renamed
Belagaavi.</p>
<p>The Jnanpith Award winner and noted Kannada writer U.R. Ananthamurthy
and Rashtrakavi Dr G. S. Shivarudrappa, well-known votaries of making
Kannada the medium of instruction in schools, expressed regret that
successive governments had not had the resolve to take a decision in
this regard. Ananthamurthy observed that English should act as a rich
fertilizer to Kannada, not overpower it. English, he added, had divided
India into a rich India and a poor India. In a reference to Bangalore's
multinational software companies benefiting from the State's facilities
but not giving back enough to Kannada, the writer sought to know whether
multinational companies could prosper in countries such as Germany and
France if they were apathetic to the local languages.</p>
<p>Speaking to Frontline, Ananthamurthy said that the people of
Karnataka wanted Kannada to become the lingua franca of Bangalore. He
added that entrepreneurs and heads of multinational companies should do
some introspection: “Even while employing those who are intelligent,
they must conduct a committed search for talent from the
underprivileged. This will allow new ideas and knowledge to emerge.
Otherwise, we will only be serving up what we already know. Companies
should also use the local language for some purposes. A language cannot
grow because of its literature alone. It needs the support of the
state.”</p>
<p>Shivarudrappa, in his speech, lamented the failure of successive
governments to protect the interests of the State and tackle corruption,
communalism, reckless industrialisation, and the destruction of the
ecology in the name of development and the impact of all these on
language and culture. Shivarudrappa, who has been critical of the
government policy of imparting education in both Kannada and English
from Class I, wants a downscaling of English; he also wants companies
such as Infosys to provide employment to those who study in the Kannada
medium.</p>
<p>The conference saw an exhibition of over 10 lakh books in all genres
of Kannada literature. In addition, the Department of Kannada and
Culture brought out 100 important and representative works from all
genres of Kannada literature. Veteran actor Anant Nag urged the
government to organise literary meets in the border areas of the State
to strengthen Kannada and culture. A Kannada film festival was organised
during the conference. The Kannada film industry sent nearly 1,000
representatives.</p>
<p>Seminars on topics such as “Knowledge, science and technology”,
“Kannada and globalisation” and “Opportunities for investors” were
conducted as part of the conference.</p>
<p>Speaking at the “Kannada and globalisation” seminar, T. Mohandas Pai,
director (human resources), Infosys Technologies, said that industries
were fleeing Karnataka because of rampant corruption. “They [public
representatives and bureaucrats] ask for bribes. You have to pay money
whether it is to get land or to get an environmental clearance. This has
forced investors to shift base out of Karnataka.”</p>
<p>During the conference, Yeddyurappa met with around 60 non-resident
Kannadigas (NRKs) from across the globe. Many of them had been specially
invited for the meet, and the Chief Minister sought their help in the
development of the State and in attracting overseas investments. Many of
the NRKs wanted the government's Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Cell to
scale up its activities and coordinate with NRKs.</p>
<p>Said Amarnath Gowda, an attorney and counsellor-at-law in the United
States and a former president of the Association of Kannada Kootas of
America (AKKA): “Just as much as we want the government to help us in
imparting Kannada to our children and in keeping us in touch with our
traditions by sending teachers or organising cultural meets abroad, we
want the State to benefit from the goodwill that we have earned by our
contributions to our local communities in various parts of the world. We
are in an ideal position to influence local leaders in our communities.
This can be leveraged by the Karnataka government.”</p>
<p>Dayashankar Adappa, AKKA president, said that there should be
constant interaction between NRKs and the government. “The government
has to devise ways to involve overseas Kannadigas in the development of
the State. It can do much more and we are ready to help. And this help
need not be just in terms of money,” he said.</p>
<p><b>Criticism</b></p>
<p>In the run-up to the conference, the government's decision to invite
Narayana Murthy to inaugurate the conference was questioned by some
writers and activists, who accused the Infosys chief of not having done
anything to protect the interests of Kannada and Kannadigas.</p>
<p>Bargur Ramachandrappa, a leading Kannada writer, led the criticism by
stating that he was appalled that a person who, outside of
entrepreneurship, had contributed little to Kannada should be
inaugurating the conference. He pointed out that Narayana Murthy's
software company had not even come up with a Kannada software/font and
had instead been a vociferous champion of education in the English
medium.</p>
<p>However, Ramachandrappa's view that “calling upon somebody who is
just an entrepreneur to inaugurate a World Kannada Conference was an
insult to Kannada culture, literature and folklore” cut no ice with the
government. The government's stance also found favour with Girish
Karnad, who said, “Kannada is a mindset and I see nothing wrong in
somebody who represents today's mindset inaugurating the World Kannada
Conference. Narayana Murthy certainly represents this modern state of
mind. It is time we stopped looking backwards and moved away from our
preoccupation with Kempe Gowda and Rani Chennamma.”</p>
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</center><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><hr size="1"><b><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></b></font>-------<br></div></div>
</div></div></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>
University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br>
<a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------<br>