PROFESSOR M M Kalburgi, a renowned Kannada scholar and writer, was shot dead at his residence in Dharwad of Karnataka in the morning of August 30, sending shock waves across the state as well as the country. This is the first case of a writer/scholar being killed in Karnataka, and in all likelihood due to the fear of “adverse impact” of his scholarship on communal discourse in the state. The CPI(M) expresses its shock, condemns the murder, and demands that a comprehensive enquiry be instituted to identify and arrest the killers and unearth the conspiracy, if any. It is a blot on society and culture of Karnataka.
Prof. Kalburgi was a former vice-chancellor of the prestigious Hampi Kannada University and has authored more than 150 books and 450 research papers on ancient Kannada literature, folklore and history of Karnataka. He was an authority on Vachana Literature and his greatest contribution was collecting, studying and editing the vachanas. He also contributed to ‘Epigraphica Karnataka’, a district-wise collection of epigraphic records.
He had worked extensively on history of Veershaiva religion and literature and was an authority on the subject. Some of his views and research conclusions on this subject was not palatable to dogmatic and obscurantist Veerashaiva forces. He was of the view that Hinduism is not a religion, whereas Verashaivism is. He is reported to have written a letter to the government in the context of social-religious census arguing against considering Hinduism as one religion.
Obviously this had enraged those ramming conception of monolithic Hindu religion into public conscience. His research work was also a thorn in the flesh for forces trying to rewrite history on communal lines. He has been criticised, abused and threatened by such obscurantist forces. His address to a seminar to pay homage to Dr Dabholkar and fight against irrational and superstitious beliefs led to his “media trial”. Many a times stones and soda bottles have been thrown onto his house forcing the government to post policemen around his house. However, it was learnt that police protection was withdrawn recently on his request. The same forces that celebrated following Prof. Ananthamurthy's death, also justified Prof. Kalburgi’s murder on social media.
He is a martyr in the lineage of Dr Dabholkar, Govind Pansare in the grim fight against obscurantism and unscientific beliefs/practices. Carrying forward the fight vigorously against such forces will be a true tribute to Prof. Kalburagi.
Protest demos have been held all over Karnataka. Prominent writers and public figures like Girish Karnad, Baraguru Ramachandrappa, G Ramakrishna, K Marulasiddappa have condemned the murder and participated in the protest.
Silencing a Critical Voice
In New Delhi, a group of intellectuals condemned the heinous killing of Kalburgi and called on all forces that stand for a sane and just social order to mobilise in the quest for justice. “In shock and horror at the murder of M M Kalburgi in Dharwad district in northern Karnataka, we cannot help seeing it as part of an intensifying war against critical thinking by social forces that use obscurantist belief in quest of political hegemony. The eminent Kannada writer, scholar, educationist and social campaigner has for long been associated with rationalist views which he has not hesitated to voice in public. His sharp and often acerbic comments were most often targeted at efforts to seek advantage from the retelling of history and myth for purposes of modern identity politics. Notions about the divine origin of historical figures and the growing trends of public and politicised religiosity invariably drew his scathing comment.”
Like the killing of Dr Narendra Dabholkar, exactly two years ago and Govind Pansare earlier this year, the assassins have struck in broad daylight but left few physical traces. Preachers of the new religious bigotry though have left a trail of ill-intentioned and inflammatory statements that could be regarded as incitement.
The local head of the Bajrang Dal in a town of Dakshin Kannada district, has issued a celebratory statement at Kalburgi’s murder, likening it to last August’s death from illness and old age of eminent Kannada literateur U R Ananthamurthy and holding out a warning to the well-known rationalist thinker and writer based in Mysore, K S Bhagwan, that he could be the next target.
“We see the speculative remarks from local police in Dharwad about a supposed property dispute involving Kalburgi’s widowed daughter as an effort to distract attention from the heinous crime and prepare a prospective alibi for their inability and lack of will in pursuing the murderers.”
Kalburgi’s killing comes even as police report a complete lack of progress, or even of credible clues, in the Dabholkar and Pansare murders. It comes as individuals accused of terrorist crimes and murderous rioting are being shown undue leniency by both prosecutors and the judiciary, because the colour of their violence accords with the political ideology that today rules the country.
The statement was signed by M K Raina, Ram Rahman, Vivan Sundaram, Prabhat Patnaik, Sukumar Murlidharan, D N Jha, Sohail Hashmi, MMP Singh, Chanchal Chauhan, Madangopal Singh, Vishnu Nagar, Asad Zaidi, Sanjeev Kumar, Irfan Habib, Shireen Moosvi, Manmohan, Shubha, Utsa Patnaik, Mihir Bhattacharya, Sashi Kumar, Jayati Ghosh, Geeta Kapur, Indira Arjun Dev, Indira Chandrasekhar, Kanishka Prasad, Kumkum Sangari, Lata Singh, Madhu Prasad, Parthiv Shah, Prabhar Shukla, Rakhshanda Jalil, Veer Munshi, Vishwamohan Jha, and Zoya Hasan.
Rise up Against Religious Nationalism
The Central Executive Committee of SFI expressed its deep shock and condemnation over the dastardly killing of Prof. Kalburgi. “The most renowned Kannada scholar, writer and a strong voice of secularism Prof. Kalburgi was no doubt a threat to the communal agendas of the saffron brigade... The Hindutva-right wing forces had earlier attacked his house with stones and soda bottles in 2013. He was warned by the same communal forces after he raised his voice against idol worship and blind beliefs and superstitions prevalent in Hindu society,” it said.
“Prof. Kalburgi was a champion of scientific temper and rational thought. The scientific temper and rational thought is under a severe attack at a time when the central government itself stands against it... We demand the Karnataka government to take immediate actions to arrest the culprits behind this heinous crime. We request each and every democratic and progressive sections in this country to rally together to defeat religious nationalism,” SFI said and called upon all its units across the nation to rise up against the murder and organise protest meetings and programmes to carry forward the fight of Prof. Kalburgi for secularism and rationality. (END)
