The Karnataka Beary Sahitya Academy will organise a World Beary meet here next year in order bring together Bearys settled different parts of the world and also to promote Beary culture and literature.
The Beary is a small Muslim community concentrated mainly in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts with its unique culture and language with Kannada as its script.
Academy president M.B. Abdul Rahman told presspersons here on Thursday that there were about 14 lakh Bearys spread all over the world. He said a large number of Bearys – particularly the youth – were settled in the Gulf. Some of them were settled in other districts of Karnataka such as Chikmagalur, Kodagu and Bangalore as well as the Kerala border district of Kasargod.
He said Beary was recognised to be one of the most ancient languages with its own fund of literature and folklore. The academy would promote research in this regard, he said and added that the academy member, Sushila Upadhyaya, had done her PhD on Beary language. He said Beary language and culture faced the threat of disappearing, and the academy was keen to intervene and take the required measures to keep it alive.
Mr. Rahman said the academy planned to collect unique Beary jewellery in the days to come although there were no plans to set up a museum. He said it would also bring out books to encourage Beary writers, and would honour three writers including a poet and a short story writer, and three others soon.
He said the Karnataka Government had sanctioned Rs. 20 lakh to the academy and had released Rs. 5 lakh of the said amount for community development. Following an assurance given by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, the academy had submitted proposals for an additional grant of Rs. 20 lakh, he added.
Mr. Rahman said the new office of the academy would be inaugurated at Presidium Complex, Attavar Road, on Saturday by District in-charge Minister J. Krishna Palemar. The former Minister B.A. Moideen would release the book, ‘Beary Chelt”, on the occasion. Member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel would release the academy’s periodical.
Members of the academy Abdul Azeez Baikampady and Hamza Malar were present at the press conference.
