The murder of the Kannad writer Kalburgi

The murder of the Kannad writer Kalburgi

As is well-known by now, the progressive Kannad poet, writer, scholar and researcher Prof Kalburgi was shot dead at his home in Dharwad, Karnataka. The murder of Prof Kalburgi was preceded by the murders of rationalists, Dabholkar and Govind Pansare. A Tamil writer had to write obituary to the writer in him. In Bangaladesh and Pakistan also the rationalists or those opposed to religious superstitions and practices are being eliminated, notwithstanding the claims of the religious leaders of all the religions that theirs is the most tolerant religion. Taslima Nasrin has to live, may be for the life time, in exile for her writings against orthodoxy. It seems that the medieval times were more tolerant that did not eliminate Kabir who flayed the religious practices of Islam and Hinduism both. The non-government censorship by the self claimed custodians of religion and culture has emerged as the most serious threat to the right to conscience, thought and expression.

Prof Malleshappa Madivallapa Kalburgi, former Vice Chancellor of the Kaqnnad University, at Hampi, was unafraid of asking critical questions and had the nerve to stand by the unpopular answer.“He was very open-minded and very progressive and he had the courage to speak the unsavory truth without fear of consequence,” according to the JNU UniverHS Shivaprakash, Kannada poet and playwright. Prof Kalburgi, a Lingayat himself, earned the ire of the Lingayats, said to be the most powerful community in Karnataka, in 1989 for his work on the 12th century philosopher, Basav that was considered to be blasphemous by the self claimed community leaders and was forced to omit few sections from the book. . Speaking to India Today at the time he said, “I did it to save the lives of my family. But I also committed intellectual suicide on that day."

The RSS outfits, VHP, who had celebrated the death of UR Ananathamurty by distributing sweets and creating congestion on social media. They celebrated the death of Prof Kalburgi also. One Bajarang Dal leader went to the extent of declaring on tweet the next target, another rationalist. The state is showing lack of will and capacity to restrain the communal hooliganism. In such a situation the responsibility of defending academic freedom that is being simultaneously curbed by draconian educational policies being pursued by the government and right to thought and expression falls on the shoulders of the democratic forces of the country.

It is in this context, Janhastakshep seeks to begin a series of discourses on Fundamentalist threat to academic freedom and freedom of expression among the students, intellectuals and writers to chalk out countervailing strategies to meet the menace.

13.09.2015