Around 10,000 people comprising of writers, thinkers, activists, filmmakers, people from different walks of life are expected in Dharwad on August 30, on the first death anniversary of rationalist scholar Prof. M.M. Kalburgi, who was shot dead by unidentified assailants last year.
Addressing press persons here on Saturday, convenors of “Dr. Kalburgi- Dr. Dabholkar- Comrade Pansare Hatya Virodhi Horat Samiti,” linguist G.N. Devy, Basavaraj Sulibhavi and Shankar Halgatti said that the event planned and coordinated by the Samiti was both to remember Prof. Kalburgi and also to register protest against the indifferent attitude of the government in inquiring into the murder of a scholar which had shocked the country.
Mr. Devy said that the murder of Prof. Kalburgi at his residence in Dharwad had led to sharp reaction from Indian intellectuals, literary scholars, artists and from various quarters.
“Earlier, rationalist Dr. Narendra Dabholkar was killed in Pune and Comrade Govind Pansare in Kolhapur in Maharashtra and none of the three cases have been cracked yet. While there is some progress in the Dabholkar case, there is little progress in Prof. Kalburgi’s case, despite appeals from individuals and concerned bodies from across the country,” he said.
To protest the government’s apathy and also to send out a strong message to those who want to intimidate the individuals who stand up for rational views, a silent march would be taken out from the residence of Prof. Kalburgi at Kalyannagar to the RLS College Grounds in Dharwad where a public meeting would be held, he said.
Listing out the names of various organisations that would be participating in the August 30 event, Mr. Sulibhavi said that over 90 organisations had so far extended support and more support was pouring in from different quarters. They said the organisations included cultural bodies, student organisations, literary associations, professional unions, women’s organisations, various colleges and publishing houses.
1,000 writers to participate
Around 1,000 writers are expected to participate in the Dharwad March.
Mr. Halagatti and Mr. Sulibhavi said that from octogenarian poet Channavir Kanavi to the teenage award winning writer Muddu Theerthalli, around 1,000 writers would participate in the march. And the spouses of all three deceased rationalists would be present at the originating point of the silent march.
The prominent speakers at the public meeting include writer and editor, Antara Dev Sen, media persons Kumar Ketkar and Siddharth Varadarajan, novelist Rajan Khan, poet Sanjeev Khandekar, film artists Anjum Rajbali. And apart from them, Kannada writers Rahmath Tarikere, Rajendra Chenni, Narahari Balasubramanyam, Chandrashekhar Patil (Champa), B. Suresh, K.S. Bhagwan, Muzaffar Asadi and many others will also address.
A compilation of essays about Prof. Kalburgi is slated for release at the public meeting.
