Sahitya Sambhrama concludes

The three-day Dharwad Sahitya Sambhrama, which provided a platform for new experiments in the Kannada literary world, concluded here on Sunday.

Apart from sessions on literary issues and those related to Kannada and Kannadigas, the event modelled on the Jaipur Literary Festival had book reading programmes and sessions on the vanishing folk tradition.

There were interactive sessions too, where the audience had the opportunity to participate.

Speaking at the valedictory ceremony, the former Union Minister M. Veerappa Moily stressed the need for stopping the practice of eulogising the past too much and trying to make it a model. “There is a need to take lessons from the past. But what is required most is the need to innovate and engage ourselves in new searches,” he said.

Referring to the revolutionary 12th century vachanakaras (sharanas), the former Minister said that the revolution initiated by them should not be stopped, but continued. Without taking any name, he criticised the attempts by a few to convert our multi-cultural society into a monolithic one. Writer M. Ramachandra reviewed the programmes of the three-day event and suggested some modifications.

Presiding over the valedictory ceremony, Giraddi Govindraj briefed about the organisers’ plights. Clarifying on their stand on keeping away politicians from the event, Prof. Giraddi said that politicians were always welcome to be part of the event as audience.

Writers Channaveera Kanavi, M.M. Kalburgi and Girish Karnad were on the dais. Lohit Naikar proposed a vote of thanks.

Mr. Moily later told presspersons that ‘Ghar Vapsi’ was against Indian culture and it would spoil the multi-cultural identity of the nation.

Stop the practice of eulogising the past too much, says Veerappa Moily