Bhyrappa returns cash prize to government

BANGALORE: Eminent novelist Dr S L Bhyrappa on Sunday returned the cash prize of Rs 5 lakh  presented to him by Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda at a felicitation ceremony organised by the Department of Kannada and Culture, so that the amount could be utilised for providing education to children. The State government felicitated Bhyrappa who was recently presented with the prestigious ‘Saraswathi Samman’ for his epic novel ‘Mandra’ in New Delhi. “The Saraswathi Samman has not made me entirely happy. What eats me inside is the thought of how long my works will survive. Will the future generation read my works, which are in Kannada?” questioned Dr Bhyrappa. He spoke at length about bleak future of the Kannada language. “Education today is run like a business. Private schools have taken over the minds of parents, who think that there is no future for their children without English education. This sorry state has reached even the villages,” said Dr Bhyrappa. He blamed the mindset of people for endangering the Kannada language. “When a Kannada family settles abroad, they completely forget Kannada. This is not the case with Gujarati families living abroad. They ensure the sustenance of their language and culture. As people, we are ignorant,” he observed. “With the money that the government has given me, many students can be educated. I want to return the amount to the government. Let them start giving scholarships to Kannada medium students,” Dr Bhyrappa felt.  He suggested a scholarship model wherein the government would provide Rs 250 every month to 1 lakh Kannada medium students. “This is not a big deal for government,”  he said. Green SignalIn response, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda gave a green signal for the implementation of the project. “I welcome his recommendation. I will make a formal proposal about this and Rs 3 crore will be set aside in the next budget for this purpose,”  the Chief Minister assured. Lexicographer G Venkatasubbaiah and Commissioner of Kannada and Culture Department Manu Baligar were present.