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Educate children in Indian languages: Ananthamurthy

Staff Reporter

EXCHANGE OF IDEAS: Writer U.R. Ananthamurthy at an interactive session organised by Samvada Trust in Bangalore on Sunday. — Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

BANGALORE: Children who have not studied an Indian language up to tenth standard cannot understand their roots or the history of their country.

This was stated by Jnanpith Award winning Kannada writer U.R. Ananthamurthy at an interactive session on " Globalisation and Kannada culture" organised by the Samvada Trust , a cultural forum formed in 1997, here on Sunday.

Tracing the roots of Kannada culture and literature he related them to the classical and modern notions of globalisation.

He acknowledged the hegemony of economic and political forces over language and culture.

In the country's context, Sanskrit, which was once the language of the Cosmopolis, made way for other languages and dialects, such as Maithili, which in turn facilitated the creation of geographical and linguistic regions, he said.

Srivijaya's "Kavirajamarga," Dr. Ananthamurthy pointed out, showed how language got geographically confined. The language employed registered the universal significance of the text and it had inspired generations.

For instance, the Italian poet Dante found a guide and model in the Latin poet Virgil and the Kannada poet laureate Pampa found his own guide and model in Kalidasa.

If history provided a strong basis for true and perceptive education, children should study in any of the languages of the country at least during the first ten years of their learning, the writer emphasised.

Deliberating on the essence of "Kavirajamarga" and the notion of globalisation, both from ancient and modern points of view, Dr. Ananthamurthy extensively quoted the text and the observations of the Magsaysay award winning writer the late K.V. Subbanna.

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