Nearly a year after its due date, Kannada Sahitya Sammelana still not held

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The absence of a president for the Kannada Sahitya Parishath (KSP), the body that holds the sammelana, and a pending case in court are primary reasons for the delay. | Photo Credit: File photo

One of the State’s flagship annual events — Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana — is long overdue, though the selection of president for the 88th edition was done about a year and a half ago. However, the event has not been held since 2024.

The absence of a president for the Kannada Sahitya Parishath (KSP), the body that holds the sammelana, and a pending case in court are primary reasons for the delay.

The last sammelana was held in December 2024 at Mandya. The KSP had announced that it would hold the 88th sammelana at Ballari in December 2025. The then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had also earmarked a grant of ₹10 crore in the 2025-26 Budget. A meeting of the executive committee of KSP had chosen Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq to preside over the Ballari sammelana.

However, allegations of financial irregularities and misuse of power were levelled against Mahesh Joshi, who was the president of KSP, after the Mandya Sahitya Sammelana. Mr. Joshi was removed from the post and an administrator appointed. However, Mr. Joshi challenged this action of the government in the court, and this case is still pending.

Responding to the delay, writer and former president of Kannada Development Authority S.G. Siddaramaiah said that election to the post of the KSP president should be held soon and the process for holding the sammelana should then be started in earnest.

Meanwhile, district presidents of KSP, including Ballari, have submitted petitions to Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, requesting them to hold the sammelana under the leadership of the administrator.

Speaking to The Hindu, B.T. Nagesh, Bengaluru South district KSP president, said, “The Minister had told us during our earlier meeting that the sammelan would be held in Ballari by July 2026. However, when we met the Minister again, he explained that the drought situation in the State might come in the way of holding the event.”

Mr. Tangadagi was not available for comment.

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