CHITRADURGA: Farmer leader and former legislator late Prof M D Nanjundaswamy will be conferred the ‘Basava Shree Award 2011’ posthumously at the Sharana Sanskriti Utsava to be held at Murugha Mutt between September 29 and October 8, said pontiff Shivamurthy Murugha.
He said that, the award was being conferred on the leader who fought for the cause of betterment of farmers across borders.
Giving details about Mahantha Devaru Nanjundaswamy , the pontiff said, “He was a multifaceted personality, who had working experience from farm lands to the Legislative Assembly, deeply influenced by the socialist movement started by Ram Manohar Lohia, Swamy plunged into the movement and worked with like-minded people such as K P Poorna Chandra Tejaswi, P Lankesh, Chandrashekhar Patil, K Ramadas, and others.”
He was instrumental in agrarian movement by starting Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha in 1982. He was also instrumental in opposing the Bills such as GAAT, BT crops and other agreements, the pontiff elaborated.
The award consisting of a citation and Rs 3 lakh cheque will be handed over to the children of Nanjundaswamy.