Writers Return Kannada Sahitya Awards Over Slow Probe in Kalburgi

Six writers have returned their Kannada Sahitya awards over the slow probe in MM Kalburgi’s murder case.

Deceased Kannada scholar MM Kalburgi. (Photo: The News Minute)

Upset over the delay in arrest of Kannada thinker MM Kalburgi’s killers even a month after he was gunned down, six Kannada writers returned their awards to Kannada Sahitya Parishat on Saturday.

All the six Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation Aralu Sahitya Award winners have returned awards, disappointed over the delay in the arrest of the killers of Kalburgi.
— Pundalik Halambi, Kannada Sahitya Parishat President

Veeranna Madiwalar, T Satish Javare Gowda, Sangamesh Menasinakai, Hanumanth Haligeri, Shridevi V Aloor and Chidanand Sali were conferred the awards on November 22, 2011.

At the same function, Kalburgi was honoured with the prestigious Nrupatunga Prashasti.

The writers were accompanied by veteran Kannada writer Chandrashekhar Patil (Champa), who had earlier returned the state government’s Pampa Award as a protest against the killing of Kalburgi, his close associate.

Kalburgi was shot dead at point-blank range by two unidentified men at his residence in Dharwad, Karnataka on August 30.

Sketches of the two men suspected to have shot and killed Kannada scholar MM Kalburgi. (Photo: PTI)

Police are still clueless on the killers and their motive, even as they are probing the suspected role of right wing fringe elements.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the case.

It is a simple gesture to exert pressure on the state government to nab the culprits.
— Javare Gowda, Kannada Writer

As a mark of protest, the young writers returned their awards and demanded speedy arrest of people who killed the progressive writer, Halambi said.

(With inputs from PTI)