CH NEWS
BENGALURU
Several translation projects initiated by the previous executive committee of the Kuvempu Bhasha Bharati Pradhikara have come to a halt due to shortage of funds, leaving a number of completed volumes awaiting publication at the authority’s office.
Among the major projects pending publication is the Kannada translation of renowned philosopher Surendranath Dasgupta’s acclaimed work A History of Indian Philosophy. The multi-volume work was translated from English to Kannada by five scholars under the editorship of writer and scholar Prabhakar Joshi.
In addition, 11 volumes of writings by historian, Gandhian thinker and researcher Dharampal were translated from Hindi and English into Kannada. However, despite the completion of translation work, the books could not be printed as the tenure of the executive committee ended before the publication tender process was finalised.
The previous executive committee headed by former chairman Ajakkala Girish Bhat was constituted in October 2019 and its term ended in October 2022. Following this, the then BJP government appointed the Joint Director of the Department of Kannada and Culture as Administrative Officer for academies and authorities functioning under the department.
Sources said the administrative setup that took charge later did not move forward with publication of the translated works. As a result, thousands of pages of translated material remained confined to files and manuscripts without being converted into published books.
After coming to power, the Congress government constituted new executive committees for academies and literary authorities in March 2024. Channappa Katti was appointed president of the authority and assumed charge along with a new committee.
However, officials said the current committee has been unable to proceed with the earlier translation projects because of financial constraints. The authority reportedly receives an annual grant of only ₹50 lakh from the Department of Kannada and Culture.
Though some revenue is generated through book sales, the present committee has prioritised newer initiatives such as e-books and audiobooks featuring works of prominent Kannada writers. In the absence of separate funding for large-scale publication projects, earlier translation works have remained shelved.
Literary circles have expressed concern that significant scholarly works translated into Kannada are yet to reach readers despite years of effort by translators and editors.