H.M. Maheshwaraiah, Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Karnataka, said on Tuesday that O. Chennanna Walikar, the Bandaya writer who died recently, enriched Kannada literature with his powerful expression of Dalit sentiments.
He was addressing a State-level seminar on the life and works of Mr. Walikar at Harihara auditorium on Gulbarga University campus. The event was organised jointly by the Kannada departments of the two universities.
“Walikar’s mind was pure. Hailing from the marginalised community, he knew the hardships and humiliations that downtrodden communities faced in society. He gave expression to the joys and sorrows of the marginalised and oppressed communities in his writings. His powerful expressions of Dalit sentiments gave a new dimension to Kannada literature and enriched it. He did not go after power or money. He lived and wrote for a cause,” he said.
Tippanna Kamaknoor, MLC, expressed anguish over the way in which the world treated the rebel writer. “He was born into a family that was illiterate and oppressed. He worked hard to infuse confidence in the people of his community and those who lived wretched lives. His hard work, selflessness, commitment and honesty were not recognised when he lived and struggled. The world recognised them only when he died,” he said.
Mr. Kamaknoor demanded that the Gulbarga University authorities name the Kannada department after Mr. Walikar. He also appealed to like-minded people to come forward to establish a trust in the name of the writer. “I am ready to persuade the government to extend all possible assistance for this. The university should take up the task of publishing Walikar’s unpublished works at the earliest,” he said.
H.T. Pothe, Dean of the Arts Faculty of Gulbarga University, recalled Walikar’s life in Raichur and Kalaburagi. “In the company of rebel writers such as Bolu Bandeppa and Babu Bandarigal, he emerged as a revolutionary writer. He was a rebel like Ambedkar when he was in Raichur, but he became a peaceful Buddha when he came to Kalaburagi,” he said.
Lakshman Rajanalkar, Vice-Chancellor (Provisional), who presided over the event, promised to publish Walikar’s writings. The scholars who did their Ph. D on Walikar’s work, and Shilpakala Academy member Nataraj Shilpi, were felicitated.
