Well-known poet, playwright, folklorist Chandrashekhara Kambara says Kannada should be taught as a medium of instruction till primary school. At 86, the Padma Bhushan and Jnanpith awardee spends nearly two hours every day writing. Though he is living in Bengaluru at present, his heart is in his village in Belagavi. The chairman of the Kendra Sahitya Akademi says Indian languages are the most creative in the world.
“We Indians have the ability to tell the same stories in different ways. This is because Indian languages are highly creative,” he told TNSE editors and staff during an interaction. He had also served as founder vice-chancellor of Kannada University in Hampi.
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Do you think the patronage of central and state governments is needed for languages and literature to flourish?
Not at all. Vachana Sahitya came to the fore (in the 12th century). But tell me, which emperor contributed to its growth? Yet, so much literature was created. All Kannadigas, regardless of their caste and creed, got together and created it. People used to accept literature if it was good and relevant. It has been the world’s best literature and has been translated into 80 languages. One should not make excuses for not creating literature and blame lack of patronage.
In your works, women characters get prominence. Is it true with society too?
In villages, you may snub women, but their role remains significant. The patriarchal system came into our country after Muslim kings invaded us. I can tell you stories about it.
Has the mindset of readers changed over the years?
Readers now find many options, like cellphones, where stories can be told. In our country, we just cannot live without stories.
But the craze for English has affected Indian languages. People seem to be losing their affection towards regional languages? How to overcome it?
Yes, it has happened and it is quite natural. That is because English has been touched by power. Since Macaulay’s time, we have been struggling to overcome this. We should realise one thing... There is no creativity without Indian languages. That is our supremacy. Most of the stories are born in India, and that is because stories and storytelling is in our blood.
Do today’s children, who are exposed to TV and internet, have storytelling skills?
The exposure is contributing to story killing, because it dictates a story should be told in a particular way, like this and that. But India’s strength is in its orality. There are around 2 lakh stories in the world and all were born in India. Others are only borrowing it.
What do you say about the new genre of writers?
They have lot of scope and opportunities. When we were small kids, a man from Belagavi town had brought a radio to our village and we were all after him. The stories coming from the radio were unimaginable to us those days. Radio and TV were new. We thought there might be human beings inside it. People used to refer to it in ‘Bayalata’ plays staged in those times. When new things come, they bring about a change.
Do tech advancements help language and literature grow?
Technology gives speed to story telling. One can also communicate gestures. Technology is certainly advantageous. Don’t we tell stories over cell phones? It is happening and it has not become stagnant. Whatever the changes, our story telling gets adapted to it. It is our strength.
What should the government do to popularise Kannada language?
The medium of teaching till Class 7 should be Kannada. Every subject should be taught in Kannada. After that, if possible, extend it till SSLC. If the government does this, the students will not only learn Kannada, but also be more creative. They will start telling English stories in Kannada. During my stint with Kannada University, we published subject textbooks in Kannada. They were sold quickly across the state. Students would read the lessons in Kannada and write exams in English. They would understand the subject very well as it was in their mother tongue. This is possible for our government, but they don’t do it. If we have been successful, why not the government?
What about higher education like medicine and engineering? Should that be too in mother tongue?
It will be good. But teachers have a craze for English. They feel that if they teach in English, students hold them in high regard. They have such an inferiority complex.
What is your take on the Sarojini Mahishi report, which recommends reservation in jobs in the private sector for Kannadigas?
This is our mother land. The authorities concerned should decide the percentage of reservation. There are people who have migrated here from other states and they too want to learn Kannada. Fighting over languages is foolish to the core. All are our languages.
What about the controversy over the imposition of Hindi?
There is a competition between two groups as to who is more foolish. As the Sahitya Academy chairman for two terms, I had to speak in English to run the organisation.
What do you say about some writers returning awards to protest against the government?
It is okay to return the awards and there is no need to give undue importance to such instances. It is left to the writers, whether to keep the awards or return them.
How do you look at Bengaluru, where languages other than Kannada are heard more often?
There are many outsiders here and that is why many languages are spoken here. The strength of one language passes on to other languages. Our stories can be told in many languages. It is we who taught the British how to tell stories.
Most stories originated from rural areas. But people from villages are migrating to urban areas. Do you think that would impact our storytelling abilities?
We cannot prevent migration. I am from a rural background. I have travelled across the globe. But there is nothing like my village. It is such an amazing life. But we have to accept that that life is going away. People are not willing to stay back in villages.
What is the status of Kannada theatre?
People compare cinema to theatre. Now, nobody goes to watch plays in villages. We used to walk miles to watch plays in neighbouring villages.
Many writers got threat calls and letters. How dangerous is this trend?
This is not a good trend.
What is your message to the government for Kannada Rajyotsava? What should be done for the growth of Kannada?
As governments change, policies change and they change textbooks. They did it this time, and brought back old textbooks. They should not play with the future of children. Let political parties with different ideologies play their politics somewhere else, but not over textbooks and language. It has an adverse impact on children who are in the process of learning. If a child gets a story told by his teacher, he narrates it to his mother, friends and different people in different ways. Our language is so creative that one story can be narrated in a variety of ways. That is the strength of Indian languages. Christians, who had arrived here to propagate their religion, were amused by this. There are innumerable versions of Ramayana and Mahabharata and it is a testimony to the creativity of our country. Wherever you go, you find varieties of stories.
This year, 68 people will get Kannada Rajyotsava awards…
Artists and writers should be given awards. There are many awards for cinema people. While giving Rajyotsava awards, if our artists are given priority, they will feel encouraged. They should be considered.
You met Prime Minister Narendran Modi, what are his views on languages?
He loves and respects languages. He encourages them.