B.A. Vivek Rai, former Vice-Chancellor of Kannada University, Hampi, and Karnataka State Open University, Mysore, has said that Kannada writers and poets are not corrupt and communal like politicians in the State.
Speaking at the valedictory function of the Bengaluru Sahityotsava, organised as part of the Bangalore Book Festival, Prof. Rai said: “We should be proud about the fact that Kannada writers and poets are not corrupt like politicians in the State. The State’s image has been dented across the country and the globe due to corruption, communalism and caste politics.”
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
“Now money can buy you anything. We all have become slaves one way or the other,” he said.
Prof. Rai, who is the author of several books, said writers should refrain from participating in political activities. However, noted writers such as U.R. Ananthamurthy had a different view, he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Corruption was rampant not only in politics but also in universities and educational institutions in the State. Faculty members in several universities had failed to uphold moral values of the profession and had been directly participating in politics, Prof. Rai said.
Noting that high quality Kannada books need to be translated in to foreign languages, he said a good number of Hindi books had been translated into European languages. Instead of concentrating on selling thousands of books, efforts should be made to bring them to the common man, he said.
Renowned lexicographer G. Venkatasubbaiah, Jnanpith award winner and president of the Bangaluru Sahityotsava Chandrasekhar Kambar, and Malayalam writer M.T. Vasudevan Nair were present.
A large number of people visited the book festival at the Palace Grounds on Sunday. It will conclude on December 23.