The problem of Samskruta in Kannada

Samskruta is undoubtedly a language with great literature (note that I don't call Samskruta itself a great language; there is no language which needs to be specially called a great language; all languages are great in their own right).

But unfortunately, it is becoming more and more of a differentiator of the haves and havenots in Karnataka. We are witnessing an explosion in the number of Samskruta words being used in Kannada literature. Whenever a new word has to be coined or a headline or a sentence has to be made "more attractive", it has become common practice to turn to Samskruta.

Worth special mention is the fact that Kannada is not a language derived from Samskruta. This is a total misconception/lie which is going around within and outside Karnataka (See "Kannada Barahavannu Saripadisona" by D.N. Shankara Bhat). Thousands of years of work on Kannada Grammar has been proven mostly wrong by Shri. Bhat, who argues that earlier grammarians have tried to apply Samskruta Grammar to a language which has really not much to do with Samskruta.

The problem with Samskruta words being used in Kannada sentences is twofold:

• They don't fit in well into Kannada sentences because of Mahapranas, Samyuktavyanjanas and Samskruta's inherent differences with Kannada (See "Kannadakke Beku Kannadadde Vyakarana" by D.N. Shankara Bhat)
• They're alien to most Kannadigas (For e.g., "horabaanu" is understood by most whereas "baahyaakaasha" is not!)

People end up using Samskruta words while writing/talking in Kannada for 3 reasons:

• They don't know the Kannada equivalents or can't coin them
• They think Kannada equivalents clash with common-usage
• They want to show off

All the above reasons are invalid, and continuing usage of Samskruta words in Kannada is taking Kannadias away and away from their souls.

Note that there is nobody really forcing Kannadigas to use Samskruta - it doesn't have the kind of market appeal which English has. Here, it is only the lack of real understanding of Kannada which is killing Kannada and Kannadigas and therefore Karnataka.

So go ahead and add Samskruta to the list of Kannada's problems.

Nothing said above should be interpreted to mean that we should not use a single Samskruta words. As Shri Bhat argues, Samskruta words can and must be used after necessary modifications in Kannada when there's no other go; but this usage has to be conscious and not an offshoot of a feeling of eliteness.

I've not tried to document examples of Samskruta usage in Kannada in this blog. The percentage is too much. The best way is to read Dr. Bhat's books.

We've got more work to do than we thought. Over and above the fools who are arguing that English should be taught from day 1 in school, we also have to fight the fools who think it's impossible to coin acchakannaDa words without the help of Samskruta (I was one of them until today).

ಮುಂಬೈ ಸ್ಫೋಟ - ಕಲಿಯಬೇಕಾದ ಪಾಠ

ಮುಂಬೈನಲ್ಲಿ ಇವತ್ತು ೭ ಕಡೆ ಸ್ಫೋಟಗಳಾಗಿ ನೂರಾರು ಜನ ಸತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಏನು ಕಾರಣ? ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಗೊತ್ತಿರುವ ಕಾರಣಗಳನ್ನು ಹೇಳಲು ನಾನು ಹೊರಟಿಲ್ಲ. ಆದರೆ ಆ ಕಾರಣಗಳಿಗೆಲ್ಲ ಮೂಲವಾಗಿರುವ ಕಾರಣವೊಂದನ್ನು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕೊಡುತ್ತೇನೆ.

ನಾಲ್ಕು ಜನರಿಗೆ ಒಬ್ಬ ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯನಿರಬೇಕೆನ್ನುವುದು ಸನಾತನಧರ್ಮವಿಹಿತ. ಹಾಗಿಲ್ಲದಿದ್ದರೆ ಮಿಕ್ಕ ನಾಲ್ವರಿಗೆ ಅಪಾಯ ತಪ್ಪಿದ್ದಲ್ಲ. ಆ ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯನು ಹತ್ತಿರದಲ್ಲೇ ಇರಬೇಕೇ ಹೊರತು ದೂರದಲ್ಲಿ ಏಲ್ಲೋ ಅಲ್ಲ. ನಮ್ಮ ಭಾರತೀಯ ಒಕ್ಕೂಟ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ದುರದೃಷ್ಟವಶಾತ್ ಪ್ರತಿ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯರು ದೂರದ ಭಾರತ-ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನ ಮುಂತಾದ ಗಡಿಪ್ರದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೋಗಿ ನಿಲ್ಲಬೇಕಾದ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಿದೆ. ಮಹಾರಾಷ್ಟ್ರವನ್ನು ಕಾಯಬೇಕಾದ ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯರು ದೂರದ ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದ ಗಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹೋಗಿ ನಿಂತಿದ್ದರೆ ಮಹಾರಾಷ್ಟ್ರವನ್ನು ರಕ್ಷಿಸುವವರಾರು? ಮಹಾರಾಷ್ಟ್ರದ ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯರು ನಾಯಿಗಳಂತೆ ಜಗಳಾವಾಡುವ ರಾಜಕಾರಣಿಗಳಾಗಿರುವಾಗ ಮಹಾರಾಷ್ಟ್ರದ ರಕ್ಷಣೆ ಹೇಗೆ ಸಾಧ್ಯ? ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯರು ಹತ್ತಿರದಲ್ಲೇ ಇರಬೇಕಾದದ್ದು ಮುಖ್ಯ.

ಭಾರತದ ಗಡಿಪ್ರದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯರು ಇರಬಾರದು ಎಂದು ನಾನು ಹೇಳುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ. ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಕಡಿಮೆ ಮಾಡಿ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಸಿ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ; ಅಲ್ಲಿರುವವರು ಅಲ್ಲೇ ಇರಲಿ, ಇಲ್ಲೂ ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯ ಪಡೆಗಳು ನಿಲ್ಲಬೇಕಾದದ್ದು ಅತಿಮುಖ್ಯ.

ಪೋಲೀಸರು, ಇವತ್ತಿನ ವಿಧಾನ ಮಂಡಲ/ಸಭೆಗಳ ಅಯೋಗ್ಯ ಬೊಗಳುವ ನಾಯಿಗಳು ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯರಲ್ಲ. ನಿಜವಾದ ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯರು ಎದ್ದು ನಿಲ್ಲಿ! ಓ ಮಹಾರಾಷ್ಟ್ರದ ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯನೇ, ಎದ್ದು ನಿಲ್ಲು!

ಓ ಕನ್ನಡನಾಡಿನ ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯನೆ, ಎದ್ದು ನಿಲ್ಲು! ನಿನ್ನ ಕ್ಷಾತ್ರಧರ್ಮವನ್ನು ಪಾಲಿಸು! ಶತ್ರುವನ್ನು ಸದೆಬಡೆ! ಎದ್ದೇಳು ಕನ್ನಡನಾಡಿನ ರಕ್ಷಕನೆ! ಎದ್ದೇಳು!

Vijayakarnataka is dead; Times of India has started fixing Kannada news

On the day the Times of India (may its tribe decrease) took over the reigns of Vijayakarnataka, the newspaper died.

In a clear case of reporting only partial facts and facts which are inimical to the future of Kannada, Kannadigas and Karnataka, the 6 July 2006 edition of Bengalooru Vijaya, a supplement of Vijayakarnataka, reports that the 5th year celebrations of Radiocity 91 FM happened in Bengalooru. The paper completely hides the most important event of the day, viz. the attack by Karnataka Rakshana Vedike on the event site, the ensuing breaking of microphone sticks, the fact that the entire stage was uprooted by the workers of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike. It is known to everybody in Bengalooru, why Kannadigas all over the world that THE FUNCTION DID NOT HAPPEN, AND RJ'S AND THE AUDIENCE HAD TO RUN IN FEAR.

Why didn't Vijayakarnataka report this at all?

• The Times group, which has taken over the paper, owns Radio Mirchi which has also come under the Vedike radar. Mirchi has been given an ultimatum to start airing 100% Kannada programmes or else...
• The boss of Vijayakarnataka is a Malayali. What else do you expect?
• Vishweshwara Bhat has become a pawn in the hands of TOI
• Ka. Ra. Ve. would have got quite a bit of publicity if it had reported it.
  

Arise, O Kannadiga! Look at the way outsiders are walking away with all this nonsense! Look at how your own fight for equality in your own land is being subdued by outsiders! If you have the slightest concern for Ka-Ka-Ka, stop buying Vijayakarnataka, stop buying the Times of India. They are out to destroy you column by column, news item by news item.