Kalburgi’s murder is onslaught on free speech, say activists

Kannada scholars at Madras University remembered Kalburgi as simple and straight forward at the same time as a person who had very staunch views on caste, religion and literature.

“He used to visit Chennai frequently to deliver lectures at the Madras University on Kannada literature between 1976 and 2005. He was a very humble and straightforward person whose views on religion were often critical and did not go well with a few sections,” said Srikrishna Bhat, professor of Kannada at Madras University.

Meanwhile, left-wing activists termed the act “a part of Intellectual fascism” that is undertaken by right-wing forces on institutions and individuals with the support of the ruling party at the Centre.

“The murder of the Kannada activist is the continuation of the dangerous trend that has been set by BJP-RSS sleuths whose intention is to target all those writers and artists who are propagating liberal ideas and thoughts,” said Gnani Sankaran, writer and a left-wing ideologue.

He said such acts of cowardice were prominent in Karnataka and Maharashtra as they had the political support; while in Tamil Nadu they were not able to make major inroads. Kalburgi had delivered three lectures at the Madras University in 1976 that had been translated as a book Sahithya Sampadhane in Kannada.

“This act shows the growing intolerance of the right wing forces who want to give a clear signal to individuals that freedom to articulate views should be kept to oneself and should not be used in public which is indeed a dangerous precedence that has been set in” said M.G. Devasahayam, a former IAS officer and managing trustee, Citizens Alliance for Sustainable Living.