Various Kannada literary organisations should identify writers in different Indian languages and give them awards, veteran writer Siddhlinga Pattanashetti said in Dharwad on Sunday.
“Such a practice will build a pan-India fraternity. It will not only introduce those writers and their works to Kannada but also introduce writers like Da Ra Bendre to other language readers,” he said.
He was speaking at a ceremony to present the Ambikatanaya Datta Award.
He presented the Ambikatanaya Datta Award instituted by the Dr. D. R. Bendre National Memorial Trust to writers Veena Shanteshwar and S.G. Siddaramaiah.
“As chairman of the Bendre Trust, M.M. Kalaburgi decided to present the Bendre Award to a Bengali writer. This, he said, will help introduce Bendre to those outside the State and country. With similar intentions, the Kuvempu Trust is giving an award to a writer of a different language every year. I think the Bendre Trust can resume the practice,” Prof. Pattanashetti said.
He also urged the trust to publish Bendre’s original works to revive him.
“The trust should try to translate at least some of his poems to make Bendre more familiar to readers in other languages. In addition, the trust should release the audio recording of Bendre’s voice on All India Radio in CD format,” he said.
He also urged the State government and literary and other organisations, to publish the complete works of Bendre, on the lines of Kuvempu’s collected works.
Novelist Veena Shanteshwar said that Bendre’s strong advocacy of the essence, potential and greatness of Kannada is a significant contribution. He was fond of saying that Kannada alone has the ability to satisfy all the hungers and thirsts of the mind.
Gopalakrishna Adiga felt that Bendre’s poetry reflects the spirit of Kannada after Pampa and Kumara Vyasa, she said and added that she is happy for being the first woman to win the award.
Prof. Siddaramaiah said that he saw both Kuvempu and Bendre as sources of wisdom.
Resource person Basavaraja Donur spoke about Ms. Shanteshwar’s works and H.B. Kolkar about Prof. Siddaramaiah’s writing.
Trust chairman D.M. Hiremath, Mallikarjuna Solagi and others were present.
