DHARWAD: A wide range of issues like intolerance among writers, misuse of literary platforms by littérateurs for political considerations and the law order situation in the state figured prominently on the first day of the fifth edition of Dharwad Sahitya Sambhrama on Friday.
One of the main issues was the annual literature festival facing a financial crunch. The Kannada and Cultural Department which provided Rs 15 lakh for two years has cut down the grant to 10 lakh. “The shortage of grants may also result in the discontinuation of Sambhrama in coming years,” writer and critic Giraddi Govindaraj said.
Addressing the gathering on the first day of Sahitya Sambhrama at the Golden Jubilee Hall of Karnatak University on Friday, he said the organisers are finding it difficult to manage the event in the face of shortage of grants. “It is the duty of the Kannada and Culture Department to organise such events. But it is not supporting those who organise the event”, he said.
He regretted that a few noted writers and thinkers are using literary fests as political platforms to get benefits for themselves.
“Such people should stop using such noble stages for their own benefits”, he said. Pointing out the failure of law and order in the state, Giraddi said there is no value for freedom of speech and murders are taking place due to intolerance.
“The government had promised that it would nab the killers of Dr M M Kalburgi who had been shot dead in August 2015. It also assured that a research centre would be opened at the university at a cost of Rs 2 crore. But nothing has been done so far. It is nothing but negligence by government”, he added.
Writer Narahalli Balasubramanya said intolerance and hate have created a fear in the society and “the attitude is found in all sectors including writers”.
Media which has to play an important role in building a healthy society is also getting infected by politics and a few media houses have already become puppets of politicians, he said. Politics has also influenced the judiciary in a few cases, he alleged.
Narahalli said Kannada is not limited to literature and it is a “language of knowledge”.