'KANNADA ACHIEVED PROGRESS WHILE FIGHTING VEDIC CULTURE': PROF. G.H. NAYAK

Mysore, Feb. 10 (MTY&SH)- "In spite of Sanskritisation through the proto-Indus Valley Vedic Sanskrit, Kannada has retained its pre-eminence as an authentic classical language," said Prof. G.H. Nayak adding, "Taking birth and getting influenced by Sanskrit literature, Kannada achie-ved progress even while fighting Sanskrit and Vedic culture."

He was speaking after the inauguration of a two-day seminar, "Modern Kannada Literature: Challenges in Cultural Restructuring" organised by SBRR Mahajana First Grade College and the Kannada Teachers Association of Mysore University at Swami Vivekananda Hall of Mahajana College here on Tuesday.

While Kannada language has a history of 1,500 to 2,000 years, Modern Kannada is nearly 150 years old. While Jainism, Veerashaivism and Buddhism made use of Sanskrit language as vehicles, Kannada has been in use since the days of Chandragupta Maurya. A number of litterateurs opposed vedic culture. While Prof. B.M. Srikantaiah pursued the progressive path, Dr. Shivarama Karanth turned away from western literature, he observed.

Poet laureate K.V. Puttappa raised Kannada literature to great heights by following his own path, he opined. 'Bandaya Sahitya', women's literature and progressive literature are the other forms of literature that have emerged in recent years.

Jnanpith awardee Prof. U.R. Ananthamurthy and P. Lankesh led the Navya Chethana form of Kannada literature to spread egalitarian culture, he recalled.

Presiding over the inaugural function, Dr. Giraddi Govindaraju said literature acted as a catalyst to usher in changes in society. Ramayana and Mahabharatha, the land's two great epics, have also been written in Kannada by many authors with many modifications. Mathew Arnold, in his book 'Cultural Anarchy' has written about cultural thoughts in Kannada literature. At one point of time, Sanskrit was opposed by using English words in Kannada literature, but the issue of fighting against English usage has cropped up, he said.

R. Vasundevamurthy, President, Mahajana Education Society, Prof. G.T. Veerappa, President, University of Mysore Kannada Teachers Association, G.S. Subramanaya, Secretary, Mahajana Education Society, Prof. K.V. Prabhakar, Principal, Mahajana First Grade College and Prof. Thimmegowda, Head of Kannada Department, were present. About 500 delegates from different parts of Karnataka are taking part in the event.