The Hindu : `Basic education should be in regional language'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 23, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore

`Basic education should be in regional language'

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE June 22. The Kannada writer and former Vice-Chancellor of Mysore University, D. Javare Gowda, has said that basic education should be imparted only in regional languages and not in English.

Prof. Gowda was speaking after receiving the prestigious Masti Award here today. Clarifying that he was not against English, Prof. Gowda said that a large number of students in middle school and high school could not comprehend English. Therefore, it would be wrong to pressure children and expect them to learn English on par with their mother tongue or the regional language, he said.

Explaining the effects of globalisation, he observed that it was a new version of colonialism which had been destroying native values, industry, agriculture, and regional languages and culture. People should realise the fast approaching "cultural cataclysm" and muster their intellectual and emotional strength to resist it.

Referring to the charges made against him in the early part of his career as a writer that he was against the traditional school of Kannada literature, Prof. Gowda said it was not correct. It was wrong to classify literature as Navya, Navodaya, and Pragati Sheela. Any culturally rich language had its own literary tradition and great literature to inspire generations, he said. The award instituted in the name of the Jnanpith Award winner, Masti Venkatesh Iyengar, was given to Prof. Gowda in recognition of his contribution to Kannada through translation. He has translated many important European works, including Leo Tolstoy's Resurrection and War and Peace, and Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice into Kannada. The award carries a cash prize of Rs.10,000, a shawl, and a memento.

The President of the Masti Prashasti Samiti and writer, Mavinakere Ranganathan, welcomed the gathering. The literary critic, M.H. Krishnaiah, spoke on the life and achievements of Prof. Gowda. The grand old man of Kannada literature, A.N. Murthy Rao, the well-known dancer, Maya Rao, the philanthropist, A.H. Rama Rao, and NRI film-maker and Kannada writer, P.N. Srinivas, were present.

The noted critic, L.S. Seshagiri Rao, presided over the function. A message from the Jnanpith Award winner, U.R. Ananthamurthy, was read out.

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