One of the sessions on the inaugural day of the Kannada Sahitya Sammelana saw writer and women’s activist K. Neela condemning some of the recent moves of the State that she termed “signs of rising fascist tendencies”.
She condemned the State government’s interference in the affairs of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat and she condemned the inaction of the KSP president Manu Baligar against such interference. She demanded the resignation of Mr. Baligar for failing to rise up to protect the autonomy of KSP. She was speaking at the session on “Kalyana Karnataka – Yesterday, today and tomorrow”.
Ms. Neela began her speech by condemning the Koppal police who registered a case against poet Siraj Bisralli for writing a poem against CAA/NRC, which she said has to be condemned by every responsible writer.
“A government that scuttles voices of dissent and prohibits freedom of expression needs to be condemned,” she said. She also condemned the act of Bidar police interrogating children from Shaheen School over a class play against NRC/CAA. “This is gross violation of internationally-accepted child right norms. I condemn it,” she said. She contended that “communal elements from other regions are trying to influence the way of life of Kalyana Karnataka region.”
Referring to the functioning of KSP, she said the political establishment had tried to change the president of the Chikkamagaluru district sammelana held at Sringeri. “The government also abruptly ended the sammelana on the second day, with false allegations of a possible law and order disturbance,” she said, adding that this undermined the autonomy of KSP.
Rajya Sabha former member Basavaraj Patil Sedam, who chaired the session, said he would not react to Ms. Neela’s dissidence. “I will only say that all of us should remain within our limits and stick to our subject,” he said.
