BANGALORE: Kannada writers have demanded that chief minister Siddaramaiah immediately appoint a chairman for the Karnataka Sahitya Academy , and work towards reviving literary activities.
Appreciating his gesture of meeting veteran litterateurs G S Shivarudrappa , Chandrasekhar Kambar , UR Ananthamurthy, Devanur Mahadev and Girish Karnad, the writers said the academy has been rudderless for the past 16 months, affecting literary activities in Karnataka.
Writer MH Krishnaiah, who was chairman from November 2008 to November 2011, urged the chief minister to nominate a chairman immediately. “After I completed my term, nobody has been appointed to the post. I don’t want the CM to yield to any pressure or lobby while selecting a candidate . I also don’t want the number of members to be increased. When the members are selected, the CM should consult the chairman ,” he said.
Critic Narahalli Balasubramanya said it’s a shame the academy was without a chairman for the past oneand-a-half years. “It (literary work) helps a person develop consciousness and culture. It’s the responsibility of the CM to appoint a chairman immediately.”
Writer Giraddi Govindraj , former chairman, said many projects, including publishing of Kannada works , have stopped. “I want the CM to revive the ‘Saalu Deepagalu’ book project,”
