Mangalore University (MU) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof PL. Dharma sspeaking during an interactive programme organised by the Kodagu District Working Journalists’ Association at the Press Club recently stressed on the efforts to preserve the Kodava language.
He said that no community could survive without its language and added that the language is disappearing along with our older generation.
Prof Dharma said the study chair intended to publish small books on Kodagu’s unsung leaders in the series, ‘Kodava Cultural Siri”.
He said that the other projects include the release of a collection of research articles by M G Nagaraj on Kodagu, continuing the documentation of Kodagu’s cultural life, organizing seminars in collaboration with local colleges, offering small research projects to eligible researchers, hosting events in Mysuru related to Kodagu’s culture, religious beliefs, practices and folk traditions, studying Kodagu’s geographical adversities concerning tourism stagnation, and developing plans related to Kodagu’s linguistic diversity and rich folk traditions.
Calling for support for the Kodava Cultural Study Chair of the Mangalore University, Prof Dharma outlined the programmes the chair intended to undertake and highlighted several issues concerning the survival of Kodagu. He emphasized that the chair was established to protect Kodagu, not just to publish large volumes. The chair aims to release small books with new insights alongside larger works, he added. He announced that the study chair would provide fellowships for new research.
Kodava Cultural Study Chair advisory committee members Dr Pushpa Kuttanna and Bollajira B Ayyappa were present.
