Kannada writer Prof. Chandrashekhar Patil, who hails from Dharwad and was a close associate of M.M. Kalburgi, has announced that he would return the prestigious Pampa Award conferred on him in 2009, in protest against the murder of his friend.
Prof. Patil said that this was the least he could do as a writer to protest “the environment created in the country stifling dissent and freedom of expression,” that led to the murder of Kalburgi.
He said he would meet the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday and return the award which is the highest literary award given by the Karnataka Government.
