Mother Kannada makes inroads into Fatherland

The MoU, under which the Karnataka Government will give a grant of Rs 1 crore to each of the universities covering five years, enables the universities to establish a full-fledged library, invite guest professors, and assist the students to visit Karnataka for deeper understanding of Kannada language, besides promoting Kannada across
Europe.

The University of Munich is going a step ahead and adopting Kannada language as the major subject in its Institute of Indology and Tibetology, along with Sanskrit, as part of the university reforms process. Hitherto, the university had Sanskrit as the only major subject and it was optional for the students to pick any of the one Indian regional language (depending on the availability of teaching staff). But due to the non-availability of teaching staff and other necessary infrastructure in Kannada, the students were unable to pursue Kannada language studies so far.

“However, from next academic year, University of Munich will start undergraduate and post-graduate courses in Kannada. It is for the first time any university outside India has been giving prominence to Kannada language studies, Kannada Professor at the Institute of Indology and Tibetology, University of Munich, Robert J Zydenbos told Deccan Herald.

Prof Zydenbos and Prof B A Viveka Rai, the former Vice Chancellor of Karnataka State Open University and presently the guest professor at the department of Indology, University of Würzburg, are instrumental in reviving Kannada learning centres in German universities.

Along with the universities in Germany, the Karnataka Government is also signing a similar MoU with University of Vienna, Austria. Prof Zydenbos, who has been Kannada professor at the University of Munich for the last one decade and perhaps the only full-time Kannada professor in entire Europe now, said the Kannada study centers were active in all the four universities about 15 years ago. But due to non-availability of the necessary infrastructure, they had become almost defunct.

Prof Viveka Rai has been teaching Kannada language and folklore at the University of Wurzburg since 2009. His contract as the guest professor was initially for two years and it has now been renewed for one more year.

Kannada is one of the most-sought after Indian languages among students in Europe and outside. Karnataka is a miniature India.  One gets a deeper understanding of Indian culture and tradition if once learns Kannada language. But the Indology departments here have limited resources and they are not in a position to create the infrastructure for all Indian regional languages.

The initiative of Karnataka Government will go a long way in promoting Kannada language across the globe, Prof Zydenbos explained. He said that he wants the Karnataka government to be more generous and hike the grant amount so that the other three universities, including Vienna, can also start undergraduate and post-graduate courses in Kannada.

“With Rs 1 crore for five years, the universities would be able to provide only crash courses. All universities are bringing in reforms and want to streamline Indology departments by adopting one of the Indian languages as a major subject along with Sanskrit. The Karnataka government should make use of this opportunity and promote Kannada language,” he said.