Alva’s Nudisiri-2009 Makes a glorious beginning

Alva’s Nudisiri-2009 Makes a glorious beginning

Mangalore Today News Network

Moodabidri, Nov 6: Alva’s Nudisiri, the annual literary feast hosted by Alvas Education Foundation took off to a grand start today. A grand procession, depicting the colorful and vibrant culture of Tulunad, marked the beginning of the inaugural programme. The presence of Huliveshas and Yakshagana artistes in the introductory procession enhanced its glory and grandeur.

 

 

Veteran Kannada writer and scholar Dr Hampa Nagarajaiah presided over its inaugural ceremony. Dr M Mohan Alva, the chairman of Alva’s Education Foundation, welcomed the gathering. Mr. Venugopal, the Kannada lecturer was the compeer. 

 

 

In his speech, Dr Hampa condemned certain sections of society, which claim that the national anthem must not be sung at functions. He also stressed the fact that learning Kannada along with English is very important. He said that previous syllabi allowed for the study of Sanskrit, Hindi, and Kannada along with English. But the modern syllabi give prominence only to English and have pushed Indian languages such as Kannada and Hindi to the background. Dr Hampa is of the opinion that education must be imparted in the mother tongue alone and that English must be taught simultaneously. 

 

Dr Hampa also expressed concern about the low number of students opting for Kannada medium schools. More and more students are getting admitted to English medium schools; and the recent developments in information technology are also responsible for the growing popularity of English. “For these reasons,” said Dr Hampa, “there is an urgent need to protect native languages and to prevent them from becoming extinct.” 

 

 

Dr N S Laxminarayana Bhat, the prominent Kannada poet, said that every Kannadiga should be proud of the fact that Kannada is the oldest of Indian languages. 

Moodabidri MLA Abayachandra Jain, the progressive farmer Mijarguttu Ananda Alva, former state minister Amarnath Shetty and the director of Alva’s Education Foundation Jayalaxmi Shetty were present on the dais.