In 1918, a teacher’s indefatigable efforts helped N K’taka host fete

Haveri: The state government has announced Rs 20 crore funding for the 86th Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana that will be held in Haveri from January 6-8.
However, it was difficult to get a few hundred rupees when the Sammelana was organised for the first time in North Karnataka on May 11-13, 1918, in Dharwad. Late veteran poet Shantakavi alias Sakkari Balacharya Gopakacharya,who was a primary school teacher, had raised the funds for the 4th Akhil Bharat Kannada Sahitya Sammelana under presidentship of R Narasimhachar.
Goolappa Aralikatti, a documentary filmmaker in Haveri, recalled that North Karnataka was under the influence of Marathi and Urdu-speaking people and the Sammelana was facing a financial crunch and it had hardly gotten donations from people.
“Earlier, three Sammelanas were held in South Karnataka when they had support from the Mysuru Wadiyars. No such royal family was here to support the event. Seeing the situation, Shantakavi wrote some poems in favour of Kannada and sang and danced to them in villages. He had worn a ‘jolige’ and visited each house to collect money and grains. He is a forgotten great Kannada activist,” Aralikatti said.
Hanumesh Sakkari, the great grandson of Shantakavi, said that his forefather had visited many villages of old Dharwad district that includes today’s Haveri and Gadag districts. “Being a Vaishnav Brahmin, he was presenting solo dramas to create awareness among commoners, but he was kept away by upper-caste people then. He was inclusive and secular. Jnanpith awardee Da Ra Bendre had regarded him as his literary Guru” Sakkari elaborated.
Theatre director Prakash Garud, who has written a play on the life of Shantakavi, said his poem ‘Bedalu Kannada Dasayya Bandiha…’ became famous while he was collecting money and grains for the event. “He was also presenting some keertanas,” he said.
Prof Shyamasundar Kochi, who has done his Ph D on Shantakavi, said that his selfless contribution was not recorded by the Kannada Sahitya Parishat.