H.S. Venkatesh Murthy, president, 85th Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana, had to face questions on some of the contentious issues of recent times, during an interaction with selected individuals on the concluding day of the three-day event on Friday.
Srishaila Nagaral wanted to know Mr. Murthy’s stand on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). The writer said in response, without spelling out his stand in black-and-white, “There is a need to make people clearly understand it. We should ensure that the country continues to be united. We should have faith in the all-inclusive policy as Amartya Sen said. We need to realise the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar.”
Kalaburagi-based journalist Shivaranjan Satyampet asked Mr. Murthy to describe the logic behind his proposal to make Sanskrit, a language that was kept away from the majority of the toiling masses, as a possible link language. The president said he was opposed to making a language of one State or region a link language. “It was my suggestion to develop either Sanskrit or Prakrit which had an all-India presence as the link language. If the majority disagrees with me, let them develop their preferred language as a link,” he said.
Journalist Jogi asked Mr. Murthy whether writers should confine themselves to the creation of literature or if they should take to social activism. “A writer can be an activist. But it cannot be mandatory or a precondition. A writer should show his commitment more towards writing than towards activism. He should write in such a way that it comforts and does good to society,” Mr. Murthy said.
When writer Vasudhendra asked Mr. Murthy’s about his stance on the trend of the State banning literary works, he held that writers should be free to write and express their minds. “The duty of the writer is to write. Evaluation and criticism should be left to the readers,” Mr. Murthy said, also without spelling out his stand on the State banning books.
