Dr. K.M Chander is the professor of English in Mysore University . The paper presented by him in Prof. M. B. Emeneau Centenary International Conference on South Asian Linguistics, is titled "Time Past and Time Present: Myth, Folklore and the Unredeemability of Time". His paper begins with a quotation from T.S. Eliot's " Four Quartets" and by way of explaining the importance of folklore and oral tradition he quotes eminent scholars like Dr.U.R. Ananthamurthy and A.K. Ramanujan. The paper analyses the elements of folk tales in comparison with the Epics, through the story "The Hunter's Tale".

          Dr. Chander asserts that the ritualistic narration is an important component of these Vrata Katha, a frequent noticeable feature of which narration is to ensure that purposeful spending of time, normally whole of the night and the early hours of the day. However, he says that the moral tale remains independent of the main story, as that experience does not fit into the main frame.

          The example he cites, the 'Hunter's Tale', titled "The Story of Bedara Kannaiah" collected by Prof. Krishnamurthy Hanur, begins with the sunset and ends with the daybreak. The time schedule is used as the object to describe the greatness of Siva. The story is about a hunter who finds his salvation after repenting the feeling to kill the deers. The contrasting elements of professionalism, humanity and divinity are featured in this paper.

           In the second part, the mobility of the folkloristic discourse in different directions is discussed. He explains that a folktale enshrines itself in many other related discourses like myth, literature and religious discourses. Dr. Chander illustrates this point with many examples from the Indian epic like Ramayana, and the Greek epics, Illiad and Odyssey.

           In the third part, Dr. Chander question on how the genre (novel form), unlike the other genres come to assume such a distinctive characteristic unique to the novel form alone. He comes out with an answer from Bhaktin, which says "the novel's roots must ultimately sought in folklore". This operates in a zone of direct contact with inconclusive present day reality. This new way of conceptualizing time, is something the novel form borrows from folklore.

           In conclusion, it is emphasized that the particulars of a folktale might not be found in detail when it becomes a part of the epic. This is highlighted through the factors like time frame, caste -sensitive frameworks and finally, reward for good deeds. Picturizing the counter space of subaltern culture, the paper claims that the alternate voice makes more visible the multidimensionality of language of language, literature and culture.

           In the discussion that followed the session, Sri. R. S. Rangila raised a question on how could Dr. Chander relates his paper to the concerns of the seminar-" India as a Linguistic Area" or "Anthropological" or "Literary" areas. Dr. Chander replied that his intention is to bring folklore into mythology and folklore does get appropriated into other genres. Prof. Kelkar intervened at this juncture stating that it would be disrespect in Prof. Emeneau's name if the relevance of this paper is questioned. Sri. Rangila defended his question by saying to be disrespectful was in one way reverential. Replying to Prof. Rajendra Singh's query of bi-directionality of Indian literature, Dr. Chander answered that when we move from folklore to epic there bi-directionality. Prof. Bh. Krishnamurti raised a comment on the influence of great traditions (Ramayana and Mahabharata) on small tradition (folklore) and the Dravidization of Indo-Aryan pantheon.