Aug 21

Reshaping Art Beyond Caste and Gender

BV Kakkilaya Centenary at Mangaluru at 4pm-6pm on Sunday, Aug 11, 2019
Discussion – Reshaping Art Beyond Caste and Gender by
Sri TM Krishna and Com. Noor Zaheer

Sri TM Krishna, eminent Carnatic vocalist and writer, and Com, Noor Zaheer were the speakers in the next session titled Reshaping Art, which also happens to be the title of the book penned by Sri TM Krishna. Initiating the discussion, and speaking on Reshaping Art Beyond Caste, Sri TM Krishna pointed out that the origin of all forms of discrimination is with aesthetics, or the perception of beauty. He said that such perception is influenced by one’s physical appearance, color, accent, dialects, clothing, food, life style, job, caste, religion and so on, and such perceptive discriminatory tendencies are inculcated right from the households, going on everywhere such as class rooms, work places, places of performing arts etc. Terming western classical music as largely white music and Indian classical music as Brahminical music, Sri TM Krishna enumerated how the other forms of music and art, including visual arts, suffer from casteist discrimination and exclusion. He called upon the art enthusiasts to fight such discrimination from within and out, so as to allow the growth of every form of art and music beyond the shackles of caste. Speaking of the clampdown in Kashmir, Sri TM Krishna expressed his anguish over the homogenization of anger against the Kashmiri people in the rest of India. Com. Noor Zaheer spoke on Reshaping Art Beyond Gender and in her poetic style, narrated several instances of neglect of the many contributions of women to art and music, including religious, folk and even leftist politico-cultural organisations. She concluded by stating that if Habba Khatoon doesn’t reverberate on the Dal Lake, the lake would perish.

Sri TM Krishna releasing Kannada translation of Com. Noor Zaheer’s book ‘My God is a Woman’

Sri TM Krishna speaking on ‘Reshaping Art Beyond Caste’

Com. Noor Zaheer speaking on ‘Reshaping Art Beyond Gender’

Sri TM Krishna honoured by Smt. Gangaratna Talithaya, eldest daughter of late Sri Subraya Kakkilaya

Photos: Yajna, Mangaluru

Video: Shenoy Video, Mangaluru

 

Aug 21

Writings in Kannada on Philosophy, History and Economics

BV Kakkilaya Centenary at Mangaluru at 2pm-4pm on Sunday, Aug 11, 2019
Discussion – Writings in Kananda on Philosophy, History and Economics
Dr. TS Venugopal, Dr. Vijaya Poonacha Thambanda, Com. KS Parthasarathy, presided by Dr. G Ramakrishna

The second discussion for the second day, in the afternoon, was titled ‘Writings in Kannada on Philosophy, History and Economics’. Dr. TS Venugopal, retired Professor of Statistics, spoke on the writings on philosophy, and appreciated the major contributions of Sri Debiprasad Chattopadhyay in bringing to the fore the philosophical literature of India, while also lamenting that hardly any original philosophical writings exist in Kannada. Dr. Vijay Thambanda, Professor of History at Kannada University, Hampi, traced the evolution of writings on history in Kannada whereas Sri Kalale Parthasarathy threw light on the writings on economics and political sciences. Dr. G Ramakrishna, who presided, spoke on the difficulties faced in bringing the leftist literature into Kannada, and said that the process of finding local terms for such vast literature in foreign languages is still under evolution.

Dr. G Ramakrishna initiating the discussion on ‘Writings in Kannada on Philosophy, History and Economics’

Dr. TS Venugopal speaking in the discussion on ‘Writings in Kannada on Philosophy, History and Economics’

Dr. Vijay Poonacha Thambanda speaking in the discussion on ‘Writings in Kannada on Philosophy, History and Economics’

Sri Kalale Parthasarathy speaking in the discussion on ‘Writings in Kannada on Philosophy, History and Economics’

Dr. G Ramakrishna concluding the discussion on ‘Writings in Kannada on Philosophy, History and Economics’

Sri GN Ashokavardhana honouring

Com. PV Lokesh honouring

Dr. Phaniraj honouring

Com. Anita honouring

Photos: Yajna, Mangaluru

Video: Shenoy Video, Mangaluru

Aug 21

Past, Present and Future of Land Reforms

BV Kakkilaya Centenary at Mangaluru at 10.30am to 1pm on Sunday, Aug 11, 2019
Discussion – Land reforms in Karnataka: Past, Present and Future
Dr. Chandra Poojary, Sri Dinesh Amin Mattu, Com. PV Lokesh

The first discussion on the second day was on the Past, Present and Future of Land Reforms in Karnataka. Prof. Chandra Poojary, Professor of Development Studies, Kannada University, Hampi, said that the land reforms movement indeed created a revolution by empowering the most backward sections of the society, and enabled the children of those families to gain education and liberation, himself being a beneficiary. He said that more than a lakh such families were benefited in Dakshina Kannada district alone. Prof. Chandra Poojary said that in the initial years, the communists as well as the Congress party gained immensely from the land reforms, with their leaders winning elections after elections; however, since the early 1990s, that has changed, and with the new generation growing up, the forces of communalism have made significant gains, almost completely wiping off the left, and sidelining the Congress. Sri Dinesh Mattu, senior journalist, stated that although his family too was a beneficiary of land reforms, the lands so got being small holdings, did not help the beneficiaries to a great extent but for empowering them as land owners, and many of them had to involve in other economically viable activities to sustain their lands and families. Sri Mattu felt that implementation of land reforms by late Devaraj Urs, the then CM of Karnataka was a ‘revolution in a hurry’ and also his choice of second line leaders for his party was also done in hurry, and both these contributed to the failure of the Congress party to fully encash on its land reforms programme. Com. PV Lokesh in his presidential remarks clarified on the valiant role played by the CPI and its cadres in forcing the congress government in Karnataka to implement the land reforms, and explained that the reasons for a more successful implementation in Karnataka compared to northern states was solely due to the active participation of the left cadres. Even In Karnataka, the tenants could get their lands wherever the cadres of the left helped them in the process, and elsewhere, the land lords and their strong arm tactics succeeded in dispossessing the tenants of their holdings. Com. Lokesh also drew attention to the fact that of the unclaimed or unconfirmed lands of the tenants that was taken over by the government, only about 38% have been distributed to the landless poor and the remaining are left uncultivated. Some of these have been occupied by the landless for unauthorized cultivation, as Bagar Hukum, and the regularization of such lands for the landless poor is a major issue that needs to be tackled urgently, said Com. PV Lokesh.

Dr. Chandra Poojary speaking on ‘Land Reforms in Karnataka: Past, Present and Future’

Sri Dinesh Amin Mattu speaking on ‘Land Reforms in Karnataka: Past, present and Future’

Com. PV Lokesh speaking as chairperson on ‘Land Reforms in Karnataka: Past, Present and Future’

Photos: Yajna, Mangaluru

Video: Shenoy Video, Mangaluru