President of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat R.K. Nallur Prasad said on Thursday that the district and taluk units of the parishat should become financially self-reliant.
He was speaking at the inaugural function of the conference of the district-level office-bearers and taluk-level presidents of the parishat here.
Mr. Prasad said that financial independence would help the district and taluk units to organise programmes focusing on Kannada literature and culture. This would also help in the development of Kannada language. “The parishat belongs to entire State and its people. It should reach out to all people, including those living in rural areas,” he added.
During his tenure as president, every district unit of the parishat had received at least Rs. 10 lakh. The State unit of the parishat was taking initial steps towards achieving financial self-reliance. The State unit faced a severe shortage of staff. It had only 14 permanent and 50 temporary employees.
The power of sahitya sammelans should not be underestimated. These literary conferences brought all people together.
“They bring all minds together and foster harmony. They transcend even the barriers of politics,” he said.
Inaugurating the conference, former president of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat Harikrishna Punaroor said that the number of Kannada medium schools in the State was declining.
Despite assurances, the government was doing little. The case of aided-Kannada medium schools was worse. Many of these schools faced a shortage of teachers.
There was a shortage of textbooks being supplied to Kannada medium schools in the States bordering Karnataka.
English medium schools offered better facilities and all students flocked to them. It was time people themselves took initiative to save Kannada.
There was no point in depending on the government to do it.
The KSP should increase its membership fee to at least Rs. 2,000. If the KSP did not find ways and means of becoming financially independent, then it would be forced to depend on the government, Mr. Punaroor said.
H.K. Malali Gowda welcomed the gathering. Pundalik Halambi delivered the introductory remarks. Office-bearers of KSP Sangamesh Badawadgi and P. Mallikarjunappa, and president of the district unit of KSP Ambatanaya Mudrady were among those present.
