MYSURU: Noted poet and former MLC M Akbar Ali passed away at his residence in Kuvempunagar here on Sunday. He was 91.
He is survived by three sons, three daughters and eight grandchildren.
Akbar Ali known as Chutuku Kavi was not keeping well for sometime. According to his family members, he was suffering from thyroid cancer for the past one year and his condition deteriorated in the past two weeks. He did not respond to treatment and breathed his last on Sunday morning. The last rites were performed later in the day. As news of the death of Ali spread, hundreds of people from the literary world, bureaucrats, students, Kannada activists and others thronged his T K Layout residence to pay their last respects.
He was laid to rest at the Muslim Burial Ground near Tipu Circle in the evening.
Recipient of Several Awards
M Akbar Ali was the recipient of several awards such as Kannada Rajyotsava Award, State Sahithya Academy Award and he was conferred the DVG Sahithya Award by Karnataka Mukthaka Academy in 2009.
He has published many collections of ‘Chutukus’ (Limericks); Akbar Ali Chutukugalu, Belakina Aradhana, Kasi Gulbali, Kannada Kavyadhyana and Akbar Ali Samagra Kavya.
Akbar Ali was born on March 3, 1925, to Appa Saheb and Ammerbi at Khanapura in Ullagaddi village in Belagavi district.
He completed his schooling in Belagavi and did Master of Arts from Pune University in 1960. He served as a lecturer for 14 years in Karwar, Dharwad and Hubballi, and he was awarded a PhD degree by the University of Mysore in 1980.
He got an opportunity to recite one of his poems in Akhila Bharat Kavi Goshti held in 1975 which changed his life. He had chaired the Akhila Bharat Kavi Goshti held in Mandya in 1994 and the 9th Mysuru District Kannada Sahithya Parishat Sammelan.
While serving as a member of Legislative Council for two terms (1986 and 1992), he had done some tremendous work.
Noted critic G H Nayak, District Minister V Srinivasa Prasad, poet Latha Rajshekar, Kannada activist Vishwanath, historian Nanjaraja Urs and District Kannada Sahithya Parishat president Chandrashekar paid their last respects to Ali.