BAGALKOT: A pall of gloom descended in Mahalingapura as social worker Ibrahim Sutar, 82, who is popularly known as ‘Kabir of Kannada’, breathed his last after suffering a severe cardiac arrest in the wee hours on Saturday, February 5, 2022.
Grieving family members said, “Ibrahim Sutar was ailing from diabetes and hypertension for the past few years. He complained about heartache on Friday. The doctor recommended an angioplasty. While he was being taken to the hospital, he breathed last on the way.”
He is survived by a wife, two children and grandchildren.
The family has made all the necessary arrangements for the public to pay their last respects at Mahatma Gandhi grounds in Mahalingapura. The final rites are likely to be performed on Sunday, according to the relatives.
The Union Government recognized his social work towards spreading social and communal harmony and awarded him the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, in 2018.
Ibrahim Sutar was known to spread harmony through his songs and bhajans, which were popular not only in Karnataka but also in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Delhi and Goa. He is popular among the masses in the districts of North Karnataka for his spiritual discourses.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Minister for Water Resources Govind Karjol condoled the passing away of Ibrahim Sutar.