K’taka Minister opposes separate literary festival for sidelined Muslim writers

Bengaluru, Jan 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) Karnataka Minister of Kannada and Culture, V. Sunil Kumar, on Friday objected to a parallel literary festival for sidelined Muslim writers in the 86th All India Kannada Literature Conference.

"Organisation of the parallel literary conference is not a good development," Sunil Kumar said.

Speaking on the controversy, the Minister added, "There will be small mistakes in a large-scale event. That should be discussed and sorted out."

The Kannada literary festival will help give a good message to the people. The festival is important in the view of development of the Kannada language, he said.

The 86th Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana (All India Kannada Literature Conference) organised by the Kannada Sahitya Parishat was inaugurated on Friday with much fanfare in Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's native city Haveri.

However, the literary conference has run into controversy for sidelining Muslim authors and litterateurs.

Condemning this literary event for sidelining Muslim writers, Kannada activists and like-minded litterateurs have organised a single-day parallel literary conference in Bengaluru on January 8.

It has been decided to make well-known Kannada writer Bhanu Mushtaq as the President of this parallel literary event.

Dalit writer and retired bureaucrat, Moodnakoodu Chinnaswamy will inaugurate this conference which will be held at the premises of Alumni Association near K.R. Circle in Bengaluru.

The convention is named as "Jana Sahitya Sammelana" (People's Literature Convention).

Source: IANS