Kannada Bhavans in Kerala and Goa remain non-starters due to land issues

Indifference of the respective state governments, which do not want any linguistic issues to crop up, has also added to the problem

The proposal to build Kannada Bhavans at Kerala and Goa, to promote Kannada and provide a platform for the Kannada-speaking population there, remains in a limbo after running into land issues.

Kannada Bhavans in predominantly Kannada-speaking areas have been proposed at Akkalkot in Sholapur district of Maharashtra in the name of Jayadevi Taayi Ligade, at Kasargod in Kerala in the name of Kayyara Kinhanna Rai, and also in Goa at an allocation of ₹5 crore in the 2022-2023 budget. It envisages a 300-seater auditorium, green room and office room in the first phase while open air theatre, library and additional green room have been proposed in the second phase.

While the land has been made available in Akkalkot and the construction is expected to commence soon, the promised land in a portion belonging to Zuari Chemicals in Goa has not fructified and the land at Badiyadka in Kasaragod is currently with the zilla panchayat with whom the Karnataka government is not keen to partner. Indifference of the respective state governments, which do not want any linguistic issues to crop up, has also added to the problem, government sources said.

“In Akkalkot, the Adarsha Kannada Balaga bought land and registered it in the government’s name. They have agreed to maintain the building,” a senior official in Karnataka Border Area Development Authority.

However, in Kasargod, the local Kannada-speaking population is opposed to the Karnataka government spending money on construction on a piece of land that is with Kasargod zilla panchayat. In fact, the said land had been given by the family of celebrated Kannada writer Kayyara Kinhanna Rai for construction of a cultural building eight years ago.

“The local Kannada-speaking population does not want the Kerala government to have control over the Kannada Bhavans since there has been a bitter experience in developing Manjeshwar Govinda Pai Memorial. The Kerala government took over the land but did not release the money. It was due to efforts of the then Union Minister M. Veerappa Moily that ₹7 crore was released. However, till now the building is not complete,” said the source.

Meanwhile, though the Kayyara family has offered another parcel of land, it is not open to handing it over to the government since it is expecting CSR funds for development of a memorial. “Instead, the family has asked government to partly fund the memorial and has offered membership in the trust.”