This article is a translation of Rupa Hassan’s article published in Samyukta Karnataka on 30th December 2018. The English translation was published on Countercurrents. Reproduced here:

What We Need Are Kannada Schools Not Sammelanas: Rupa Hassan

Our Akhila Bharata Sahitya Sammelana is an annually occurring lavish ritual literally like a school annual day celebration. This time it’s being observed in Dharwad. The expenditure for these Sammelanas has been increasing by the crores, year after year. It was 8 crores for the Sammelana held in Mysore last year, 7 plus crores for the one before that in Shravanabelagola and this year it is estimated to be around 12 crores.

Kannada Sahitya Parishat occupies the distinguished position of being an organisation that is representative of Kannadigas.The protection, development and promotion of Kannada language and literature, art, culture and folk practices has been declared in the rules [bylaws] as the primary objective of the Sahitya Parishat. In order to realise this objective, together with organising conventions, literary festivals, state festivals, lectures, seminars etc an important aim is to undertake the work of establishing and encouraging Kannada schools as well as literacy campaigns.

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