12 years on, WKM resolutions yet to be implemented

Belagavi: It’s 12 years to this March since the last Vishwa Kannada Sammelana (world Kannada meet- WKM) was staged in Belagavi. However, the resolutions and promises made during the biggest Kannada literary meet are yet to be fulfilled.
The BS Yediyurappa-led government took a bold decision to conduct WKM in Belagavi in 2011. It was the second edition of the event, with the first having been held in Mysuru in 1985. Lakhs, including prominent personalities, litterateurs and literature lovers, had flocked to the city for the event.
On the last day of the meet, several resolutions were passed and Yediyurappa himself had made some promises, majority of which remain unfulfilled. For instance, it was decided to hold WKM once every five years. However, that resolution has merely remained on paper.
Plans to hold the third edition of WKM in Davanagere have been in the works for the last five years, though nothing concrete has emerged.
While the government has fulfilled its promise of changing the name of the city from Belgaum to Belagavi, going by the present scenario, the name change appears nothing more than lip service. For instance, there was no place for Kannada at the programme to mark the unveiling of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji atop Rajahansgad Fort, organized by MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar last week.
Even after 12 years, the government is yet to implement its plans to build a Vaccine Depot, develop around 156 acres of green space in the heart of the city and build a glass house. The demand to build a cultural complex in the city is still pending.
“The government should take the initiative. The pictures and documents of WKM should be made available in the complex. Besides, the building should be reserved to conduct discussions and meetings for writers and Kannada workers”, said Ashok Chandaragi, head of Belagavi District Action Committee of Kannada organizations.
Vidyavathi Bhajantri, the assistant director of Kannada and the culture department, said there is a demand for a cultural complex in the city, a proposal for which will be sent to the government.
According to writer BS Gavimath, the books released during the last WKM should be made available in government libraries.