Raichur: The 82nd Akhila Bharath Kannada Sahitya Sammelana will kick off on Friday with Raichur district in-charge minister, Tanveer Sait hoisting the national and Sahitya Parishat flags. A 2,116 ft long Kannada flag will also be unfurled on the occasion.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will later inaugurate the three-day event that will see eminent writers, intellectuals and politicians participating in discussions on the socio-cultural and literary traditions of the state and the impact of contemporary events on them.
With the event taking place in the backward Hyderabad- Karnataka region, the focus will also be on the issue of regional imbalance and neglect of border areas of the state. Sessions on Kannada language and culture and its diversity are on the agenda as well.
President of the sammelana, Baragur Ramachandrappa, will take out a procession through the heart of the city for over a distance of about 8 kms to the University of Agricultural Sciences, the venue of the mega event.
To mark the 82nd literary festival, 82 women will lead the procession carrying poornakumbhas. They will be followed by tableaux from Hutti Gold Mines, NEKRTC, and Mudgal and 30 folklore troupes from 30 districts of the state and eight cultural troupes from Raichur, according to Mr K Shanthappa, chairman of the sub-committee in charge of organising the procession.
Over 12 books and a souvenir will be released on the occasion. In all about 180 book stalls and 150 commercial stalls have been set up at the main venue. The concluding session on December 4 will be addressed by former Chief Ministers, B.S. Yedduyurappa, and H.D. Kumaraswamy.
