VIJAYAPURA: The Vachanapitamaha PG Halakatti Research Centre has recently published 40 volumes, running into more than 25,000 pages, documenting the life, literature, research, plays, essays, speeches and intellectual legacy of the late Dr MM Kalburgi.
For academician Dr M S Madabhavi, who is working as secretary of the Centre, the publication of these volumes is not merely a scholarly exercise but a heartfelt tribute to one of Karnataka’s most fearless and influential thinkers. The Vachanapitamaha P G Halakatti Research Centre was established in 2003 to preserve, promote and popularise the rich literary, cultural and heritage traditions of Karnataka, particularly the Vachana movement and other progressive streams of thought. From its very inception, Dr Kalburgi was closely associated with the centre. Dr Madabhavi recalled he always insisted that literary work is not just about publishing books, but about nurturing rational thinking, truth and social awareness.
Dr Kalburgi guided several major projects that are today regarded as milestones in Kannada literary research. He had a deep personal and intellectual connection with the Centre, the pioneering scholar who played a crucial role in preserving 12th-century Vachana literature.
Kalburgi was aware of Halakatti’s efforts in collecting and safeguarding Vachanas at a time when they were scattered across different regions and in danger of being lost forever. Halakatti passed away in 1964, but his work lived on, albeit dispersed in various forms and locations.
In 2004, Kalburgi decided that all available literature related to Halakatti should be gathered and preserved. Kalburgi was the Chief Editor.
Under his leadership, a team of 15 scholars was formed. They travelled extensively, collecting manuscripts, papers and related material from different parts of the state.
In 2004, Kalburgi decided that all available literature related to Halakatti should be gathered and preserved. Kalburgi was the Chief Editor.
Under his leadership, a team of 15 scholars was formed. They travelled extensively, collecting manuscripts, papers and related material from different parts of the state.
Their effort resulted in the publication of 15 volumes, comprising nearly 10,000 papers, in 2008. This became the first major project of the centre and set a benchmark for large-scale literary documentation in Karnataka. The centre also undertook translation of literature from the Adil Shahi era.
The Adil Shahi dynasty, which ruled large parts of the Deccan with Vijayapura (then Bijapur) as its capital, produced a vast body of literature in Persian, Urdu and Dakhani. Much of this material remained inaccessible to Kannada readers for centuries. The project, initiated in 2012 under the guidance of Dr. Kalburgi, aimed to translate this rich historical and literary material into Kannada. Kalburgi took on the task of identifying 21 significant books and bringing together experts proficient in Persian and Kannada to ensure accurate and meaningful translations.
Dr Kalburgi was shot dead in 2015 for his fearless commitment to truth and rational thought. His assassination sent shockwaves across the country and dealt an irreparable blow to Kannada literature and progressive intellectual traditions.
After his demise, the Adil Shahi literature project was completed by historian Krishna Kolhar Kulkarni.
Dr Madabhavi said that just as Halakatti preserved 12th-century Vachana literature and Kalburgi preserved Halakatti’s work, it now became the moral responsibility of the P G Halakatti Research Centre to preserve Kalburgi’s own literary and intellectual legacy.
The centre entrusted the responsibility to Dr Veeranna Rajur, a close colleague of Kalburgi. Dr Rajur formed a team of 15 scholars and researchers to collect every piece of writing produced by Kalburgi. This included books, plays, research articles, essays, manuscripts and even transcripts of his speeches.
It took nearly three years of sustained effort to collect Kalburgi’s works. Many of his writings were scattered across journals, conference proceedings and unpublished archives. The result was the publication of 40 volumes, released simultaneously, marking a historic moment in Kannada literary history. To ensure wider accessibility, the centre would sell the books at half their actual price, keeping in mind students, researchers and general readers.
“We may never have another scholar like him. That is why the centre decided to publish his complete literature, so that his ideology, courage and commitment to truth continue to inspire present and future generations,”Dr. Madabhavi said.