It was Kannada language that ignited the heart and mind of people living under different political and administrative dispensation and brought them together under one umbrella as Kannadigas and helped creation of Karnataka (earlier Mysore State) when the State Reorganization took place.
It is important to remember that even the sub-national ethnic groups of people, living in their own geographical area and speaking their own distinct language, that were dialects like Kodava, Tulu and Konkani agreed to join the greater Karnataka and become part of it. The reason could be that those languages were written in Kannada script; people also knew spoken Kannada and are closer culturally to Kannadigas. The geographical continuity of these sub-national groups with the rest of Kannada speaking areas too might have strengthened the cause.
Irrespective of the political developments, Kannada as a language has been flowering all the time in all its spoken and written forms — especially as a literature. Ancient history, mythology, epics and even the freedom movement gave a fillip to its blossoming in its varied shades and forms — poetry, short stories, novels, essays etc. Theatre and films too helped the language to grow both in quality and popularity. No wonder today, except in cosmopolitan metros, Kannada is spoken and used in commerce and industry in other cities of the State and, of course, villages.
When I was a student in 50s and 60s even in Kodagu, where the influence of Kodava, Malayalam and Tamil languages were dominant, Kannada had its prime place — both written and spoken. Thanks to two Kannada local weeklies “Kodagu Vara Pathrika” and “Janmabhoomi”. There were no newspapers in any other languages. Surprisingly, today in the year of our Lord 2007, despite the Kannada Chaluvali, Kannada Rakshana Vedike etc., to protect the interest of Kannada and Kannadigas, there is a Malayalam paper being published in Virajpet, Kodagu.
Similarly in other cities too, there are other language papers, which were not there in earlier days. The question is whether this is a good omen for Kannada language and its development. Will it not further discourage people belonging to other languages living in Karnataka from learning Kannada and, even if they know Kannada, from reading Kannada newspaper.
Be that as it may, the reason why I touch on this subject is the seminar about Kannada held yesterday, Sunday, at the Maneyangala hall in Kalamandira. I did not attend the seminar held in the afternoon, but I did attend the inaugural function about an hour late. Prof. Baraguru Ramachandrappa, who inaugurated, had already finished with his speech.
Dr. C. N. Ramachandran, renowned senior litterateur from Bangalore was at the mike. His cup of woe seemed to be full. He bemoaned the small print orders of Kannada books — 500 copies per edition and it might stop there.
Out of this 300 books would be surely purchased by the government under "Bulk Purchase Scheme" and the rest shared between the author and one or two book shops in cities. In 50s Thirugu Bana of Ta Ra Su was the only book that saw a print order of 10,000 copies, he said and added such days never came thereafter. He rattled off some names of authors who had “socialist” or “rationalist” orientation in their writings but he could not remember the name of Dr. S. L. Byrappa, whose latest novel Avarana sold over 50,000 copies in about four month's time making history of sorts for a Kannada novel.
Excluding authors for reasons of ideological difference is dangerous. It does more harm to the world of language and literature than good, though it might temporarily help promote particular political ideology. It also amounts to curbing of “freedom of speech and expression” most important both for people like Dr. Ramachandran and Dr. S. L. Bhyrappa and their likes.
Imagine expurgating or banning books like Nata Sarvabhowma or Nagna Satya of Aa Na Kru for reasons of pornography. These are the books even those not used to reading books read with interest. I remember a friend of mine, working as a manager in a plantation, buying these books of Aa Na Ku, Ta Ra Su and others of those days, finishing them in a day or two as if obsessed, while others, unable to buy, waited to borrow. The books when they came back, if at all, would be totally soiled and dog - eared. However, if today, there are no readers, the reason could be the absence of such good, prolific and creative writers. Except for a few like Dr. S. L. Bhyrappa and pulp writers on subjects like crime, sex, black - magic etc., the literary world looks barren. However, the paradox is that there is a plethora of titles turned out in hundreds on varied subjects.
Most of them inevitably fall under various categories like Navoday, Navya, Pragathi Pantha (communist), Dalitha Sahitya, Shudra Sahitya, Bhandaya Sahitya, etc. And I may add two more — Vicharavadi Sahitya and secular literature, if you please. Not surprisingly Prof. Champa had divided Kannada literature simply into two categories — Bra Sahithya and Shoe Sahitya! Esotoric? One is Brahmin literature another Shoodra literature!
The reason for this proliferation is no doubt, as Dr. C. N. Ramachandran said the low cost of printing. Whether the work has quality or not, publish it. After all, what does it cost? And to sell 500 copies of the first (and also the last) edition is no big deal as explained by Dr. Ramachandran. I was surprised that Dr. Ramachandran forgot to blame the writers of these books for poor sales. Instead he was blaming the publishers and the retailers. Let us remember, just as you cannot keep a good man down you cannot keep a good book from the readers.
A good book is bound to see repeat editions.
Similar skewed opinion was loudly touted by Dr. Ramachandran in the matter of review of books in newspapers. Newspapers no longer review books and in fact a newspaper had boldly printed on its front page saying that it would no longer review books, he averred. Well, one sparrow does not make a summer. One unnamed newspaper may have declared its perverse policy. But pray, why generalize it?
I read books, English newspapers, magazines and also Kannada newspapers. They do publish book reviews in their weekly magazine section. May not be daily and it is not possible also. Might be, his grouse was about not publishing Kannada book reviewing. Here again he is wrong. I see Kannada book reviews both in English and Kannada newspapers. However, if he thinks so, it requires introspection on the part of the authors of Kannada books. Blaming newspapers won't help. Again, if the book is good, newspapers would be too happy to review the book. After all, it is important to editors from the point of their readers. When Dr. S.L. Bhyrappa's book Avarana was published it made splashing news in all kinds of newspapers and magazines in about all the languages. Reviews of the book were also published. But, may be, Dr. Ramachandran could not remember this in his speech for his own reasons!
Dr. Kalegowda Nagawara, who presided, spoke among other things about how even those whose mother tongue is not Kannada, loved the language and even tried to speak it in their own way giving examples of Azeez Sait and Sanjeeva Reddy etc., etc., etc. I personally do not consider it a great honour bestowed upon Kannada by these VIPs for the reason that they were just playing to the gallery. Let it be.
What, however, interested me was, when Dr. Kalegowda Nagawara, in another context, alluded to poet laureate Kuvempu and his beliefs — the marriage and eating meat affect the creative genius in a person. Of course, before long he realised that was not true. After hearing some of the speakers, I realised some of our Kannada literary souls need sensitivity about the language as much as intelligent understanding of its nuances. I browse through some of the Kannada books that land on my desk and find the language lacking in literary quality, wrong use of adjectives and poor vocabulary. Grammar is the first casualty.
Naturally sentences go meandering or stop abruptly. What literature we are talking about? An apology to a great ancient language and to Pampa, Ranna, D. V. Gundappa and Kuvempu. Why are we not sensitively tuned, these days, to the music of Kannada language and learn to use it that way in our speech and writing? This applies specially to teachers and writers. Kannada Sahithis should contemplate and answer this question honestly.
Incidentally, the inaugural speech by Prof. Baraguru Ramachandrappa could not be music to the ears of Dr. D. Javare Gowda, former Vice - Chancellor of Mysore University, who is spearheading a crusade to secure “classical status” for Kannada language on the lines given to Tamil. This demand should not be our priority or pre - occupation, though it is complementary for the all - round development of the language, Baraguru had said. Indeed he has a point, if we remember that we were unaware and blissfully ignorant of the existence of such an honour till Tamilians got it for their language.
Jai Karnataka
