A seminar on Classical status for Kannada

New Delhi, July 16 : Delhi Karnataka Sangha is organizing a seminar on the Classical Status for Kannada and Telugu languages in the national capital on Saturday (July 19).

The day-long programme will be organised in association with the Kannada University Hampi, Dravidian University Kupppam, Potti Shriramula Telugu University Hyderabad and Kannada Development Authority Bangalore. Former chief minister of Karnataka and senior Congress leader, M. Veerappa Moily and State minister for Higher Education, Aravinda Nimbavali are scheduled to attend the seminar to be held at R.K.Puram in South Delhi.

The need for the seminar was felt after observing that linguistic identity in India was passing through a crisis period. Speech communities were seeking more space in the language politics of the country.

Languages, which are not included in the eighth schedule of the constitution of India, are putting forward their case for nclusion in the list.

Languages like Kannada and Telugu have stood the test of time. They were languages of the people in the first millennium and continued to be the media of expression in the new world.

However, due to political reasons, the Government of India could not declare these ancient languages as classical languages. he criteria prescribed to declare a particular language as 'the Classical Language' is that a language should be of great antiquity and should have its early texts dating back at least 1,000 years.

The language should also have a body of ancient literature and texts considered a valuable heritage. Its literary tradition should be original and not borrowed from another speech or community.

Besides, its literature must be distinct from modern etcetera are all holds good for a few other languages like Kannada and Telugu.

Other distinguished participants in the seminar will include chairman of the Kannada Development Authority in Bangalore, Mukhyamantri Chandru, State minister of Andhra Pradesh, Mandali Buddhaprasad, Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh official Language Commission A.B.K. Prasad and internationally recognized linguist Prof. Bh. Krishnamurty. They will present their views at the inaugural session.

Prof. D. Javare Gowda, former Vice Chancellor of the Mysore University, Dr. P.S. Subramaniam, Professor of Linguistics in Bangalore, Dr. S. Shettar noted Historian, Dr. Hampa Nagarajaiah, the Linguist and Researcher, Dr. Pradhan Gurudatt, the Chairman of Karnataka Translation Academy, Bangalore and Prof. H.S. Shivaprakash of the Jawaharlal Nehru University will be leading the panel discussion in the post lunch session.

Dr. Manjulata, Vice Chancellor of the P.S. Telugu University, Hyderabad will Chair the session.

ANI