Amidst protests and non-cooperation from the district administration and police, the two-day Chikkamagaluru district Kannada Sahitya Sammelan began at Sringeri on Friday.
The administration had denied permission for the event citing opposition from some groups and Minister of Kannada and Culture C.T. Ravi to the choice of activist and writer Kalkuli Vittal Heggade as sammelan president.
As many participants reached Sringeri on Friday morning, they witnessed a bandh-like situation in the town. In response to a call given by an organisation called ‘Save Sahitya Parishat’, which opposed Mr. Heggade, many shops and hotels were shut. Around 400 policemen were deployed across the town.
The organisers of the sammelan, who had planned a procession, cancelled it as the police had denied permission. The police had also not allowed the organisers to put up sound system.
Former Minister Kimmane Ratnakar and Sringeri MLA T.D. Raje Gowda objected to the restrictions imposed by the police. Mr. Ratnakar maintained that the programme had been organised on the premises of a private property and there was no need for permission. The sound system was eventually made available. Addressing the gathering, Mr. Ratnakar said he had been an advocate for many years and was be ready to face the consequences if the police filed a case against him.
The police let the audience enter the premises only after checking their pockets and belongings, to avoid any protest during the programme. However, protesters arrived in groups raising slogans against the event. The police took five persons into custody. A few minutes later, another group arrived at the entrance raising slogans.
JD(S) MLC S.L. Boje Gowda, in his speech, took objection to the police restrictions. He called those protesting against the sammelan “anti-nationals”. “We want to conduct the programme peacefully and we should be allowed to do so,” he said. However, intermittent disturbances from the protesters continued till the end of the inaugural ceremony.
Kum. Veerabhadrappa, in his keynote address, criticised Mr. Ravi for his efforts to stop the event. He also took exception to the Minister’s statement referring to Mr. Heggade as a “naxal supporter”. “Whoever speaks in favour of the poor are called naxals. This is a bad trend,” he said. The Sringeri MLA said Mr. Ravi, being Minister in-charge of the district, should have taken responsibility to conduct the event rather than abet disruption, he said.
Kundur Ashok, district president of the sahitya parishat, said literature had the capacity to bring people of all castes, religions and ideologies together. Mr. Heggade, before presenting his prepared speech, said he planned to file a defamation case against Mr. Ravi for making baseless allegations.
The district sammelan has been in the eye of the storm with Mr. Ravi and right-wing groups opposing the choice of Mr. Heggade. Kannada Sahitya Parishat, which gives ₹5 lakh for conducting district sammelans, did not release the amount citing objections from the Minister. The organisers crowdfunded the event.
