The Hindu : Karnataka News : Will Sahitya Parishat be fourth time lucky?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 11, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

Will Sahitya Parishat be fourth time lucky?

By K.N. Venkatasubba Rao

BANGALORE, FEB. 10. While the Kannada Sahitya Parishat has decided to have a new abode for itself, the question being raised is can the parishat draft the Government's support and succeed in its fourth attempt in that direction.

In the past, the very mention of "renovation" of the Parishanmandira created a furore in literary circles. The governments of the day decided to keep away from the issue for political reasons. The respective heads of the parishat made efforts to renovate the Parishanmandira in 1987, 1995 and 2003 but in vain.

In 1987, the parishat, then headed by Ham. Pa. Nagarajaiah, prepared a blueprint to raise a new structure in place of the Krishnarajendra Parishanmandira, which has been the home of the parishat for 73 years. It was to have a plinth area of 11,719 sq. ft and Rs. 64 lakhs was allocated. But the then Government (of Ramakrishna Hegde) was diplomatic enough to leave the issue to those concerned, as the then executive committee of the parishat did not enjoy credibility among the public and there were internal dissensions over the issue.

A promise

In 1995, the then Chief Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, promised to release Rs. 1.25 crore for a two-storey structure and consented in principle to be the chairperson of the "Parishanmandira building consultative committee." The parishat, then headed by Go. Ru. Channabasappa, set out to demolish the Parishanmandira and "build a new structure without disturbing the basic design of the old building." But the parishat could not clarify how the "basic design" of the building would be kept intact while dismantling the structure? There was a public protest against bringing about any structural changes to the "heritage" building, and the parishat authorities were forced to shelve their plans.

In June 2003, the then Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, inspected the Parishanmandira and instructed the then Commissioner of the Bangalore Development Authority, Jayakar Jerome, to take up "complete renovation" of the building. But the parishat, then headed by Harikrishna Punaroor, and the officials concerned could not reach a consensus on various issues, including conformity to Vaastu values.

Like the existing building, which will have to be demolished, the new building will also have an octagonal structure, the parishat president, Chandrashekar Patil, says. "We are aware of the controversies and the public sentiments involved in the renovation of the historical building. Our plan is to construct a new building without sacrificing the heritage value of the structure. This time the parishat is determined to give a facelift to the Parishanmandira," he adds.

Funds from Govt.

The parishat is likely to approach the Government before the State budget is finalised. It is confident that with assistance from the Government, which has repeatedly announced that it is "generous to the cause of Kannada," the new structure will be completed by 2006, the golden jubilee year of Karnataka.

The foundation stone for the Parishanmandira was laid on April 12, 1931, by the then vice-president of the then Karnataka Sahitya Parishat, Karpoora Srinivasa Rao, who was earlier the chief engineer of princely Mysore.

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