Sahitya sambhrama gets off to colourful start

The three-day literary event Dharwad Sahitya Sambhrama got off to a colourful start on Friday at the Golden Jubilee Hall of the Karnatak University in Dharwad, with leading writers participating in it.

Inaugurating the event, actress and minister for Kannada and Culture Umashree underlined the need for contemporary writers to guide the society with their literary works so that the mankind lived in peace and harmony. “The litterateurs are considered the intellectual assets of the society and they have a responsibility towards the society. They should create literature that helps in the healthy growth of the society,” Umashree said.

Stating that the quality of the Kannada cinema left much to be desired, she asked writers to help it get back on to its feet. Taking exception to the writers keeping politicians away from such literary congregations, Umashree said, there have been many politicians who were good litterateurs too. Keeping politicians away does not help, she added.

“Bring them nearer your circle so that they will change their mindset and think positively and try to practice pro-people politics,” she asserted.

Umashree, who was closely associated with theatre, said literature is the basis for every art. Music, drama, Yakshaghana, folklore and all other art forms are based on literature and to reform and rejuvenate the above fields, a strong literature is needed.

She called on writers to write more plays depicting the contemporary issues like atrocities against women, terrorism and other anti-social and anti-national activities and sensitise the people.

Speaking on the occasion, critic Giraddi Govindaraj stated that the literary event is an alternative to any kind of seminar or sammelana. “There is demand to hold similar events in other parts of the state too. However, this event will be confined to Dharwad,” he added. But, the organisers would extend their co-operation to any organisation coming forward to bring in more experiments in the literary field, he noted. Earlier, I?M?Vithalmurthy inaugurated the book exhibition, while K?R Ramkrishna inaugurated the cartoon exhibition of V?G?Narendra.

A number of leading publishers have set up their stalls in the premises and the book exhibition evoked a good response on the first day with a large number of post-graduate students and the general public thronging the stalls to purchase books.

Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad, research scholar M?M?Kalburgi, poet Channaveer Kanavi, H S Shivaprakash and other dignitaries were present. H V Kakhandki compered.