BELAGAVI:In recent days, the number of attacks on progressive writers in Karnataka has gone up despite the Congress, a party which claims to have a secular standing, being in power in the state.
The state saw physical and verbal attacks on writers such as Dr U R Ananthamurthy, Girish Karnad, K Maralusiddappa, K S Bhagawan, Aravind Malagatti, Chandrashekhar Patil, Yogesh Master and several others.
The brewing intolerance reached a peak with the killing of scholar Dr M M Kalburgi on August 30. Dr Kalburgi was on the extremists’ radar as he had raised questions about the Bhagwad Gita and Hindu religion.
When Dr Ananthamurthy died of kidney failure, right-wing groups of Udupi and Mangaluru celebrated his death by distributing sweets and bursting crackers. The seer of a mutt even cracked jokes after the writer’s death on social media.
Rationalist writer Prof K S Bhagawan is no stranger to barbs from activists of right wing groups. Bhagawan told Express on Friday that he was not scared of such threats and called these forces cowardly.
When intellectuals Girish Karnad and Maralusiddappa expressed their views on consuming beef saying that dietary choices should be left to individuals, activists burnt effigies of these writers in public and also slapped cases against them.
Chandrashekhar Patil, who is known as a rebel writer, has been the target of right wing activists for the last 10 years for his speeches against Brahminism. Patil is facing at least 10 cases in several courts across the state.
Writer Aravind Malagatti is also in the eye of the right-wing storm following his recent book Bhagavatgeetege Namaskara. He has been attending court hearings in different parts of the state. Last year, Yogesh Master was targetted for his book on Lord Ganesha. When the protests became violent, the government banned the book.
The attack on Uchchangi Prasad is nothing but a cowardly act by activists of right-wing groups. Police should arrest the attackers and punish them — Satish Kulkarni, writer from Haveri
Because the Centre is being ruled by a communal party, such attacks are increasing throughout the nation — He Chee Ramachandregowda, Senior writer
The government should take stringent action against such communal forces — Allamprabhu Betadur, rebel writer from Koppal
Wait and Watch Before Taking Call on Awards
Following the Akademi’s appeal to writers to change their stand and to receive the Akademi awards, here is what awardees from the state have to say: As I am not aware about what has happened in Delhi, I would not comment anything on it. Once I go through the minutes of the meeting and the decision, I will inform about my stand.
—Rehamath Tarikere, Critic
I welcome the Sahitya Akademi’s decision to stand by the writers. But I will go through the resolution and also discuss with my fellow mates before changing my decision
— G N Ranganatha Rao, writer