Mangaluru : The 12th edition of Alva’s Nudusiri, the four-day literary-cultural at Moodbidri, opened to a colourful start on Thursday evening with an attractive procession of different cultural troupes moving ahead of the dignitaries.

Veteran scholar and President of Alva’s Nudisiri 2015 Dr T V Venkatachala Shastry said writers and society should safeguard each other’s interests and laid stress on the need to maintain peace and perseverance by both.

Delivering the presidential address at Smt Vanajakshi K Shripathi Bhat Stage at Vivekananda Nagar, Puttige, on Thursday, he said the government and social leaderships should strive together to achieve peace and harmony in the society. Dr Shastry lamented that the bond between social life and literature has been loosening these days and this is leading to clashes in the society. The right to expression needs to be exercised in a manner which does disturb the harmony in the society, he said.

He called upon political parties to shun differences, cross barriers and fight for social causes. They should work towards rooting out corruption, prevention of communal clashes, assault, solving border issues and stopping price hike, he stated. Dr Shastry condemned the murder of researcher Prof M M Kalburgi and said that the attack on litterateurs, intellectuals and researches is shameful. He called upon the government and the Central Institute of Indian languages (CIIL) to make serious efforts towards solving of issues, which have obstructed Kannada language from enjoying its classical status.

Dr Shastry suggested recruitment of a project officer/director for one year on ad hoc basis to the institute, providing all necessary facilities. The government and the institute both should make efforts towards taking the benefits of Kannada language to common people, he said.

Speaking after inaugurating the literary festival by lighting the lamp and pouring milk to paddy sheaths, writer Dr Veena Shantheshwara said many experiments are being done in the fields of literature and education. But there is an urgent need to form an education pattern which helps to find answer to contemporary issues to face challenges and build strong personalities, she said.

Referring to the education system of Finland, she said the education system is quite developed in that country. There is no tuition fee in the schools though it is a small country. Finland has made significant achievements in the fields of education, sustainable economy and research. The education system there is based on a strong policy and it ensures the overall development of children. Also, the responsibility of providing all resources to the students is given to their teachers. The teachers are paid handsomely for their commitment and they are highly qualified and they retain their credibility. Finland is the first place in terms of education according to a United Nations Human Development Report, she added. In India too, there are ample opportunities to make education student-friendly, she observed.

Stating that corruption and political intrusion in various stages have spoiled the education system, Dr Veena Shantheshwara observed that the burden of books, homework, unhealthy competitions, donation menace etc need to be eradicated. Modern technology should be incorporated while imparting education to students, she said.

Internet has been contributing to the development of language and literature in Kannada. Several websites dedicated to Kannada, including ‘Kanaja’, created by the State government, have been working in this direction. It has been proved that the social networking sites can be used as a tool for the development of the language, she said.

Dr Veena Shantheshwara felt that the Union Government needs to formulate a permanent policy on water to address to the problem of water sharing. Also, an agricultural policy is needed to prevent the suicide of farmers, she added.

Alva’s Education Foundation Chairman Dr M Mohan Alva delivered the keynote address.

Kannada University, Hampi, former vice-chancellor Prof B A Vivek Rai, Mijarguttu Anand Alva, former minister Amarnath Shetty, writers Erya Lakshminarayan Alva, Ham Pa Nagarajaiah, Kamala Hampana and others were present on the occasion.

Troupes denoting the rich cultural heritage of coastal Karnataka and the rest of the State took the centrestage during the procession. There were Nandidhwaja, Tattiraya, Kombu, Chende, Aatikalanja, Yakshagana, Goravara Kunuta, Somana Kunita, Pooja Kunita and many more in the procession.