Panel submits recommendations on abridged State anthem

‘The lengthy Naada Geethe has now been shortened to 90 seconds’

An expert committee, constituted to make recommendations on shortening the ‘Naada Geethe’ (State anthem) has submitted its report to the government.

The committee comprises noted poets Channaveera Kanavi, Doddarange Gowda, Siddalingaiah and light music artiste Y.K. Muddukrishna.

According to K.A. Dayanand, Director, Department of Kannada and Culture, the panel has submitted its recommendations and this has been forwarded to the government.

“The committee shortened the lengthy Naada Geethe, which can now be rendered in 90 secs,” he said.

Many scholars, including former presidents of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat objected to the lack of standardisation in the rendition of the Naada Geethe.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Doddarange Gowda said that the panel conducted several rounds of meetings with poets, litterateurs and music directors, before making the final recommendations.

A report on the modus operandi of abridgement and a CD with the edited form of the Naada Geethe have also been submitted to the government a week before the model code of conduct was announced by the Election Commission, he added.

The committee’s focus was to make the anthem singer-friendly, without affecting the spirit of the work. “We did our best to make it applicable to the spirit of the State and nation,” he said.

Committees

So far three committees, including the first one for according official status to Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate, have been formed since 2003. The first committee was formed during S.M. Krishna’s regime. The song got the status of State anthem during the birth centenary of Kuvempu.

Objections raised

In view of the objections raised on the interpolations and omissions in the poem, another committee was constituted during the Bharatiya Janata Party governance. But the government did not act on the recommendations of that panel.

Another committee was formed under the chairmanship of musician Vasanth Kanakapur, retaining the members of previous committee. With the sudden demise of Mr. Kanakapur, Mr. Kanavi took over as chairman of the panel, which studied the issue for nearly five months, according to Dr. Doddarange Gowda.