The second World Kannada Conference turns out to be a celebration of Kannada as representing a culture, a state of mind.
in BelgaumTWO words resonated in the heat and dust of Belgaum throughout the three-day World Kannada Conference Kannadanadu and Belagaavi. While Kannadanadu signified not so much a nation of Kannada-speaking people but rather a sense of belonging and oneness among the lakhs of Kannadigas who congregated from across the globe at the conference, Belagaavi (the Kannada name for Belgaum) was used to send out a clear message to neighbouring Maharashtra that Belgaum belonged to Karnataka and its people. The two States have fought over the status of Belgaum for over half a century.
The choice of the venue of the Rs.30-crore extravaganza had provoked an immediate response from Maharashtra, with Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray stating that the Karnataka government had chosen Belgaum as the venue purposely to provoke Maharashtra. He added that a Kannada meet in Belgaum would not strengthen Karnataka's claim to the city.
Contrary to expectations, the World Kannada Conference, held from March 11-13, did not turn into a jingoistic shouting post for Kannada, as events of this nature generally tend to, nor was it all about the language. Kannada, which was accorded classical status in 2008, has become much more than a language, according to Girish Karnad, the acclaimed writer, director, actor and playwright. Speaking to Frontline, Karnad explained that Kannada represented a culture, a state of mind, and many people who did not speak Kannada wanted to feel and share the Kannadiga atmosphere.
Similar thoughts were expressed by Jayant Kaikini, an important member of Kannada's younger breed of writers. Said the Bangalore-based writer of short stories, film scripts and poetry: Kannada is not just a language, but an environment, a way of living, providing a certain vision. The language is only part of it. The conference, with its emphasis on Kannada culture, folk dances, art and lore, served to revive a spirit that was declining with the onslaught of consumerism and globalisation. Kaikini, who chaired the poetry session, added that the conference went beyond the routine and thus served to boost the self-esteem of the people. In the time of urban and money arrogance, which is indirectly connected to English arrogance, anything with a local flavour and showcasing Kannada's heritage, folk art forms, theatre, literature, and so on, is welcome.
According to I.M. Vittal Murthy, a senior bureaucrat who was designated Special Officer for the conference, the meet was meant to celebrate and herald the achievements of Karnataka and Kannadigas since the formation of linguistic States in 1956. Murthy said that the conference sought a connection between the past, the present and the future.
To many, the conference, the second of its kind, the inaugural one having been held in Mysore in 1985, turned out to be a kind of coming together. It created an awareness and undertook a sort of cultural stocktaking: to see how far Kannadigas had, in the days of globalisation, haphazard development, multiculturalism and unbridled urbanisation, drifted away from their culture, nativity, language and roots, and progressed otherwise.
The three-day spectacle got off to a noisy and colourful start with a six-kilometre-long procession. If the size of the gathering was any indication, it was a grand success.
The procession, which started off in the vicinity of the Congress Bhavi (or Congress Well, the well that was dug to quench the thirst of thousands of people who, along with Mahatma Gandhi, attended the 1924 Congress session in Belgaum), included Balarama, the famous pachyderm which carries the golden howdah during the annual Dasara festivities in Mysore, and six other elephants. Also in attendance were dancing horses, Yakshagana performers and over a thousand other folk artistes, all of whom showcased the multi-hued cultural traditions and art forms of the State.
The inaugural function at the Rani Chennamma district stadium was witnessed by over three lakh people. On three rows on the dais sat eminent personalities from across the State, straddling fields as diverse as art and culture, literature, music, dance, theatre, cinema, industry, politics and sports.
Starting off the festivities was a scintillating Hindustani-Carnatic jugalbandi by Kadri Gopalnath, the saxophonist who has adapted the woodwind instrument to Carnatic music, and Narasimhalu Vadavatti, the clarinet exponent. (On the days that followed, there were memorable performances by the Carnatic vocalist Dr M. Balamuralikrishna, the ever-popular singer S.P. Balasubramaniam, the music composer Hamsalekha and the flautist Praveen Ghodkindi, to name but a few.)
Infosys Technologies' chief mentor N.R. Narayana Murthy, who inaugurated the conference, spoke of the need for a multilingual environment if Karnataka were to progress but stressed the need to speak in one's mother tongue at home. Said Narayana Murthy: I was born in Siddlaghatta in Kolar district, studied in Mysore and Kanpur, and has worked in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune and Paris. So I know many languages. Multiple languages help me in my profession. But I am always a Kannadiga at heart. We speak Kannada at home. Though I use English for my official communication, even now I like to express my emotions in Kannada.
He also echoed the perspective of many Kannadigas when he said: Development of Karnataka does not mean development of big cities and towns, or progress of software companies. True progress is only when there is an improvement in the quality of life of the hapless people in the villages.
The loudest cheer at the inaugural function was reserved for the actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan though detractors questioned the decision to invite her to the event because, according to them, she had done nothing for the State and former India cricket captain Anil Kumble.
Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa announced the establishment of a park and a glass house on a portion of Belgaum's historical 62.4-hectare Vaccine Institute to commemorate the World Kannada Conference. He also announced that henceforth the World Kannada Conference would be held once in five years and that he would make efforts to get Belgaum renamed Belagaavi.
The Jnanpith Award winner and noted Kannada writer U.R. Ananthamurthy and Rashtrakavi Dr G. S. Shivarudrappa, well-known votaries of making Kannada the medium of instruction in schools, expressed regret that successive governments had not had the resolve to take a decision in this regard. Ananthamurthy observed that English should act as a rich fertilizer to Kannada, not overpower it. English, he added, had divided India into a rich India and a poor India. In a reference to Bangalore's multinational software companies benefiting from the State's facilities but not giving back enough to Kannada, the writer sought to know whether multinational companies could prosper in countries such as Germany and France if they were apathetic to the local languages.
Speaking to Frontline, Ananthamurthy said that the people of Karnataka wanted Kannada to become the lingua franca of Bangalore. He added that entrepreneurs and heads of multinational companies should do some introspection: Even while employing those who are intelligent, they must conduct a committed search for talent from the underprivileged. This will allow new ideas and knowledge to emerge. Otherwise, we will only be serving up what we already know. Companies should also use the local language for some purposes. A language cannot grow because of its literature alone. It needs the support of the state.
Shivarudrappa, in his speech, lamented the failure of successive governments to protect the interests of the State and tackle corruption, communalism, reckless industrialisation, and the destruction of the ecology in the name of development and the impact of all these on language and culture. Shivarudrappa, who has been critical of the government policy of imparting education in both Kannada and English from Class I, wants a downscaling of English; he also wants companies such as Infosys to provide employment to those who study in the Kannada medium.
The conference saw an exhibition of over 10 lakh books in all genres of Kannada literature. In addition, the Department of Kannada and Culture brought out 100 important and representative works from all genres of Kannada literature. Veteran actor Anant Nag urged the government to organise literary meets in the border areas of the State to strengthen Kannada and culture. A Kannada film festival was organised during the conference. The Kannada film industry sent nearly 1,000 representatives.
Seminars on topics such as Knowledge, science and technology, Kannada and globalisation and Opportunities for investors were conducted as part of the conference.
Speaking at the Kannada and globalisation seminar, T. Mohandas Pai, director (human resources), Infosys Technologies, said that industries were fleeing Karnataka because of rampant corruption. They [public representatives and bureaucrats] ask for bribes. You have to pay money whether it is to get land or to get an environmental clearance. This has forced investors to shift base out of Karnataka.
During the conference, Yeddyurappa met with around 60 non-resident Kannadigas (NRKs) from across the globe. Many of them had been specially invited for the meet, and the Chief Minister sought their help in the development of the State and in attracting overseas investments. Many of the NRKs wanted the government's Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Cell to scale up its activities and coordinate with NRKs.
Said Amarnath Gowda, an attorney and counsellor-at-law in the United States and a former president of the Association of Kannada Kootas of America (AKKA): Just as much as we want the government to help us in imparting Kannada to our children and in keeping us in touch with our traditions by sending teachers or organising cultural meets abroad, we want the State to benefit from the goodwill that we have earned by our contributions to our local communities in various parts of the world. We are in an ideal position to influence local leaders in our communities. This can be leveraged by the Karnataka government.
Dayashankar Adappa, AKKA president, said that there should be constant interaction between NRKs and the government. The government has to devise ways to involve overseas Kannadigas in the development of the State. It can do much more and we are ready to help. And this help need not be just in terms of money, he said.
CriticismIn the run-up to the conference, the government's decision to invite Narayana Murthy to inaugurate the conference was questioned by some writers and activists, who accused the Infosys chief of not having done anything to protect the interests of Kannada and Kannadigas.
Bargur Ramachandrappa, a leading Kannada writer, led the criticism by stating that he was appalled that a person who, outside of entrepreneurship, had contributed little to Kannada should be inaugurating the conference. He pointed out that Narayana Murthy's software company had not even come up with a Kannada software/font and had instead been a vociferous champion of education in the English medium.
However, Ramachandrappa's view that calling upon somebody who is just an entrepreneur to inaugurate a World Kannada Conference was an insult to Kannada culture, literature and folklore cut no ice with the government. The government's stance also found favour with Girish Karnad, who said, Kannada is a mindset and I see nothing wrong in somebody who represents today's mindset inaugurating the World Kannada Conference. Narayana Murthy certainly represents this modern state of mind. It is time we stopped looking backwards and moved away from our preoccupation with Kempe Gowda and Rani Chennamma.
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