Literary extravaganza begins in Dharwad today

DHARWAD: Hundreds of literary luminaries, academicians, law makers and administrators will deliberate on various issues concerning the promotion and preservation of Kannada and Kannadigas during the 84th edition of the Akhila Bharat Kannada Sahitya Sammelana commencing at the sprawling University of Agricultural Sciences campus on Friday.
Chief minister HD Kumarswamy is scheduled to inaugurate the festival at 11am, and, as has become the norm, the inaugural session is likely to be dominated by speeches by politicians and elected representatives.

Though the Kannada Sahitya Parishat is an independent organization and not bound to follow protocol despite receiving financial assistance from the government, the district administration has ensured protocol is followed.

As a result, all the elected representatives from the district crowd the stage during the inaugural session.

Prior to the inaugural session, minister RV Deshpande, KSP president Manu Baligar and district KSP president Lingaraj Angadi will unfurl flags at the UAS campus. Sammelana president, writer Chandrashekhar Kambar, will be brought to the main stage in a decorated chariot in a colourful procession from the Karnatak College to the UAS campus.

The procession will include 1001 women carrying ‘poornakumbha’ on their heads, folk artistes and literary activists.

Friday, the first day will have only two sessions each — on the main stage and at Raithara Jnanabhivruddhi Kendra. On the main stage during the first session (from 3pm), activist SR Hiremath, SM Jamdar and Gurupad Mareguddi will deliberate on ‘Uttara Karnataka: Abhivruddhiya Sawalugalu’ (Challenges haunting development of north Karnataka). MLA HK Patil will preside. During the second session from 4.45pm, Guruprasad Keregodu, KB Siddayya and BM Puttayya will speak on ‘Dalit Asmithe’. KB Shanappa will preside.

At Raithara Jnanabhivruddhi Kendra (RJK), where literary issues will be discussed, the first session from 2.45pm will feature Irappa Kambali, GM Hegde, Naa Mogasale and AV Navada deliberating on ‘Kannada Kattuvike: Saansthika Sadhanegalu Mattu Nireekshegalu’ (Building Kannada: Institutional achievements and expectations). Sangamesh Savadattimath will preside.

The second session from 4.45pm will have Vijaykumari Karikal, Basavaraj Kalgudi and AV Prasanna speaking on ‘Maru Odu: Pracheena Mattu Madhyaleena Sahitya’. Mallepuram Venkatesh will preside.