When we reached KIMS Hubballi some friends led us to the Cardiac Kath Lab. Climbing down the tiled steps to the minus one floor of the hospital, we reached the lab. There, the ever active Prahlad Agasanakatte was already a body, lying on a stretcher placed on a waist high trolley. Prahlad seemed to illustrate the transience of life, by a burning metaphor, by his own death! That morning at 10.30 he was in his office, in KIMS amidst a number of cardiologists. Suddenly his life gets terminated without even getting breathing time!
I knew Prahlad Agasanakatte since he was a student. He was studying in a private degree college, and attended all the literary events and programmes conducted by Malladihalli Anathasevashrama. He was a committed student of literature and engaged himself in discussions with the writers. Prahlad was an ardent advocate of the social functions of literature, and strongly believed that literature should address inequality and exploitations in society. Prahlad was a trusted soldier of Bandaya Sahitya Sanghatane , a fire brigade that made its presence felt in the late seventies and early eighties. In fact, his poetry was an offshoot of this ideological commitment.
Prahlad came from a poor family in Agasanakatte. He lost his father quite early. Prahlad had three siblings, a younger brother and two sisters. Prahlad’s mother toiled very hard to bring up her children. She owned a small piece of land, but it was very meagre to support the family of five; more so when her two sons started their college education. She had to work as a farm labourer. Prahlad did his M.A. in Kannada, from the University of Mysore. He lived a humble life throughout his student career. As a student he could never enjoy the comforts of life. But poverty never overshadowed his career. Prahlad’s zeal for knowledge and creativity was uninterrupted. During his post graduation studies he had opted for ‘western literature’ as a special paper, though it was a bit difficult for him. He knew that his under graduate studies in a mofussil college did not equip him to face the requirements of modern Kannada culture and literature. In those days, writers had an inclination towards western literary theories. He decided to prepare himself to counter it in his formative period itself. This is an indication of how he was envisaging his literary career quite early in his life.
After his post graduation, Prahlad joined a junior college in Jagaluru as a lecturer. Later, he was deputed to Annamalai University for a course in linguistic studies. Returning from Annamalai, Prahlad was in a sort of discomfort. Jagaluru was too small a pond for him. He required a wider ocean.This temptation compelled him to resign and run to Bangalore. He joined CIEDS, an NGO, and became friends with several leftist creative minds. When the newspaper Munjane was launched in Bangalore, Prahlad was their natural choice. He later joined Vaddarase Raghuram Shetty to work for the publication, Mungaru. During these days of his career in journalism, he carved a niche for himself in the field of Kannada literature.
In the later years, he was appointed in KIMS, Hubballi, as ‘social worker’. In his non-medical capacity as a social worker he had to educate the masses about health and hygiene. His humanity came to his help, and his service in the KIMS was a boon to the poor. He retired as Public Relations Officer of KIMS.
That morning when we went to bid adieu to Prahlad, a patient’s words were heart rending: “ He used to tell the doctors and nurses not to neglect poor people in misery. Don’t let down their trust in government hospitals, he used to say... now we are let down…who is there to take care of us...” Prahlad’s bandaya zeal was neither a mere show, nor an ideological jargon. It was a product of heart felt compassion and empathy. While working in KIMS he pursued his academic career and did his Ph.D., on the topic ‘Dalita-Bandaya Kavya mattu Vicharavadagalu’ (Dalita-Bandaya Poetry and Ideologies).
Prahlad brought out four collections of poems in Kannada, they are, ‘Nanna Danige Nanna Dani’ (My voice is for my Master), ‘Gallugalali Gulabi’ (Roses at the Gallows), ‘Sante Mugiva Samaya’ (Time for the Fair to End) and ‘Deepavarida Mele’ (After the Lights burn out) ; and a collection in English (‘Moans of an Orphan Heart’).
Prahlad’s perception of poetry always posed an artistic challenge. Meanwhile, from 1999, he started writing short stories. I had the opportunity to release his second collection of short stories, ‘Kala’ (Time). Then, I remember to have remarked that Prahlad’s natural inclination was the short story form. The mind engaged in ideological interactions and his rationality was better equipped for prose form than poetry. Perhaps he felt that he was not above the anonymity prevailing in the field of poetry and hence writing short stories was a creative outlet for him. After 2001, he bid permanent goodbye to poetry.
Prahlad is the recipient of a number of prizes in short story competitions held by various state level newspapers and magazines. In due course he came out of these thematic limitations, and human miseries at large became his concern. Renowned critic Dr. G.S.Amur says that the main characteristics of Prahlad’s talent are his conscience and apprehensions that are deeply rooted in the contemporary. “Prahlad is intensely active and engaged in both, the present social status and the contemporary literary practice.”
Prahlad was an evolving talent. His life experiences were varied and rich. He understood the limitations of all the ideological cults and could perceive the truth beyond all these. Prahlad produced eight anthologies of short stories, and his complete works is titled, ‘Dhare Hatti Uridode’ (If the Earth Goes Up in Fire) Prahlad also wrote two novels ‘Bandikhane’ (The Jail) and ‘Avantara’ (Subordination).
Prahlad was actively engaged in contemporary literary activities. He was busily involved in literary seminars and workshops. He produced eleven anthologies of critical essays, the last being ‘Anusarana’ published in 2013. The most important thing is the fact that Prahlad was very supportive to younger writers. He wrote several dozens of prefaces to their short story anthologies. He also wrote a number of critical essays discussing younger writers.
Prahlad Agasanakatte had definitely made his presence felt in contemporary Kannada literature. His sudden demise is shocking and has created a lacuna. We lost a serious writer who was sincerely engaged in the transfusion of young blood into the traditional body of Kannada literature.
The author is a renowned Kannada writer and the editor of a literary magazine
