The Hindu : `Kannada literature facing a shortage of talent'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 21, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Udupi

`Kannada literature facing a shortage of talent'

By Our Staff Correspondent

UDUPI, MARCH 20. The number of Kannada writers and the readers of their works is declining, said Sandhya S. Pai, Managing Editor of the Kannada weekly, Taranga, here on Saturday.

She was speaking as chief guest at the inaugural function of a seminar on "Culture, feminism and literature'' organised by the Karnataka Lekhakiyara Sangha.

Ms. Pai said new-generation writers did not have the rich experience of the older writers. This could be because the former never had the occasion to listen to stories narrated by their grandparents. Weeklies were receiving fewer stories and articles these days.

Children now did not have the time to read stories, and the nuclear families had denied them the vividness and variety offered by the joint family to youngsters in the past. She said education and economic independence had helped women become courageous. Deprivation must be the reason for women to take to literature. Religious rituals were used to rein them in. Only literature helped them pour out their feelings. Until women were financially empowered, they could not be said to have become independent in the true sense of the word.

While women in middle and rich classes became independent only of late, those in the lower strata of society became free a long time ago as they went to work and earned money.

She said there was no point in taking extreme steps to justify feminism.

She recalled that a couple of years ago, a women's meeting had decided that men were not required. This was an extreme step. What was needed was a moderate and balanced view.

Expressing concern over the lack of importance to Kannada in the State, she said fewer people were learning the language. This would affect the culture of the State in the long run. The other effects of this decline were to be felt on cultural forms such as Yakshagana and Padadana, she added.

Presiding over the function, K. Usha P. Rai, President of the State unit of the sangha, said feminism should not become a struggle against men. The feminist thinking in the country was different from that of the West, she added.

Heranje Krishna Bhat, Director of the Rashtrakavi Govinda Pai Research Centre, said men and women should together help facilitate the development of culture.

Padma Shenoy, novelist, inaugurated the programme.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka

News Update

Stories in this Section

`Kannada literature facing a shortage of talent'

Voter awareness panel plans campaign