Linguist and researcher U.P. Upadhyaya said on Saturday that Kannada literature should promote humanism and compassion.
He was presiding over the inauguration of the sixth Udupi District Kannada Sahitya Sammelan here.
Dr. Upadhyaya, who is also the president of the sammelan, said that great works of literature focussed not only on exploitation but also the human spirit, which overcame it. There was no need for “isms” in literature. Literature promoting violence would not last long. “Literature promoting love and trust unifies society,” he said.
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Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts had made valuable contributions to Kannada literature. “Both these districts have produced more litterateurs than either the north Karnataka or Mysore regions,” he said.
It was essential to develop love for literature among youth. Literary camps should be held to introduce values and evaluate great works. “Such camps can bring in a literary revolution,” he said.
Kannada should be promoted in harmony with languages such as Tulu, Konkani, Kodava, Beary, Marathi and Malayalam, which were spoken by smaller groups of people in the State. Educationthe at primary level should be in the Kannada medium. However, success of such a system depended largely on parents, he said.
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It was necessary to translate great works of Kannada writers such as Kota Shivarama Karanth, Kuvempu and V.K. Gokak into English. Many of their works deserved the Nobel Prize. But no effort had been made at critically analysing their works in English, Dr. Upadhyaya said.
Home Minister V.S. Acharya said the Government had allocated Rs. 180 crore in the next fiscal for promotion of Kannada and culture.
Raghupati Bhat, MLA, welcomed the gathering. President of eh Udupi District Kannada Sahitya Parishat Ambatanaya Mudrady and the former president of Kannada Sahitya Parishat Harikrishna Punaroor were among those present.