Keep writing to showcase lacunae in society and record differences with majority: Jnanpith awardee Damodar Mauzo

Jnanpith awardee Damodar Mauzo said that it was important to keep writing to showcase lacunae in the society and to record our differences with the majority and then only an awakening was possible.

He was speaking at the felicitation and interaction programme of writer and Kendra Sahitya Academy awardee Siddalinga Pattanashetti, organised by Progressive Cultural Association of India (PCAI) in Dharwad on Sunday.

Mr. Mauzo said that all the languages in the county were great. “We should not reject any language, but imposition of any language will create problems. The young writers should imbibe the values of their tradition and make efforts to build new things,” he said.

Literature pertaining to the voiceless and the commoners belonging to the lower strata of the society would remain in the public domain for long, he said.

Mr. Mauzo described Prof. Pattanashetti as a writer who became a bridge between various Indian languages and upheld plurality.

Speaking on the poetry of Prof. Pattanashetti, convenor of Book Brahma Devu Pattar highlighted how imaginative Prof. Pattanashetti’s poems were and said that it was his speciality. “Prof. Pattanahsetti’s poetry is a collection of imageries and change and development can be noticed in his poerty. He has always maintained distance from those in power and has not remained silent when it was time to condemn mistakes,” he said.

Writer Prajna Mattihalli said that Prof. Pattanashetti’s prose endeared itself to the readers because the writer did not indulge in neither too much praise nor too much criticism.

Theatre activist Shirish Joshi spoke on the writer’s plays.

Responding to the felicitation, Prof. Pattanashetti emphasied the need for the young writers to read voraciously as it would help them progress as a writer. “It is also important for you to record the life experiences of the commoners,” he said.

Presiding over the function, Advisor to ‘Janajagruti Abhiyana’ said that Prof. Pattanashetti had always supported programmes with progressive objectives. Mallu Huded made introductory remarks.

Hema Pattanashetti, Sunithkumar Shetty, Alaka Rao, Kalakesh S. and others were present. The subsequent interaction programme with the author was coordinated by Sunanda Kadame and Vittal Dalawai.