Writer Vaidehi told The Hindu in Udupi that she felt as if she was staring at a huge vacuum created by the demise of Ananthamurthy. “I cannot believe he has passed away. People praised or criticised him. But he was part of every household in Karnataka. He used to be polite and generous even when he quarrelled with others. He was one of the precious jewels of Kannada literature. Now we have lost this precious jewel,” she said. She recalled that she had released the book “Shatamanada Kavi William Blake” written by Ananthamurthy at MGM College here on November 28, 2012. “After I spoke, Ananthamurthy gave me, a junior, a standing ovation. Where can we find another like him,” she rued.
Mahabaleshwar Rao, another writer, said Ananthamurthy’s death was a great loss to Kannada literature. He taught a large number of people to analyse literature and how to react to social phenomena. He shaped progressive outlook of a generation.
“That was the period when the ‘Navya Movement’ was at its peak. We opened our eyes to the world reading his novels and critical works. He has created sensibilities in us,” Dr. Rao said.
Sukanya Kalasa, poet, said that though she had some differences with Ananthamurthy, yet he used to show a lot of affection for her.
“He was the examiner for me for the Viva Voce when I was doing M.A. in English Literature in Mysore University. But he asked questions in such a manner that obliterated whatever fear we had about the examination. He gave a new dimension to Kannada literature,” she said.
Writer K. Phaniraj said that in the demise of Ananthamurthy, modern Kannada language had lost equilibrium. “It is death of modern Kannada renaissance. It is hard to have it again. We have not just lost him but also modern Kannada language. Modern Kannada sensibility created by him, Lankesh and Tejasvi, which is most open and radical, has ended and we are orphaned,” he said.
Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Math has expressed his shock at the demise of the writer U.R. Ananthamurthy. The seer said Ananthamurthy had enhanced the richness of Kannada literature. Though he had some difference with Ananthamurthy, the fact remained that the latter was a writer of rare talent. “His sudden demise has saddened me. He was close to me,” the seer said.
G. Rajashekhar, writer and social activist, said that apart from being a great writer, Ananthamurthy was a big voice against “majoritarian communalism”. “Due to his sad demise, a big voice has been silenced and now there is a void,” he said.
