M. M. Kalburgi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
M. M. Kalburgi
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| Born | 28 November 1938 Yargal, Sindagi, Vijayapur, Karnataka State
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| Died | 30 August 2015 (aged 76) Dharwad, Karnataka, India
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| Cause of death | Assassination |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | Karnatak University |
| Academic work | |
| Main interests | Vachana sahitya |
| Notable works | Kavirajamarga Parisarada Kannada Sahitya, Maarga (in 6 volumes) |
Malleshappa Madivalappa Kalburgi (born November 28, 1938 – died August 30, 2015) was a famous Indian scholar. He studied and wrote about Vachana sahitya, which is a special type of literature in the Kannada language. He also served as the vice-chancellor of Kannada University in Hampi.
Kalburgi was an expert in epigraphy, which is the study of ancient writings carved on stone or metal. In 2006, he won the National Sahitya Akademi Award for his book Marga 4. This book was a collection of his research articles.
He was known for his strong opinions among the Lingayat community. His work often explored new ideas about Lingayat history. Sometimes, these ideas caused disagreements with other members of the community. For example, some people thought he spoke against Basava, a respected philosopher from the 12th century.
In 2014, Kalburgi spoke out against certain superstitions in Hinduism. Some people misunderstood his words, thinking he was against idolatry (worshipping idols). Because of this, a complaint was filed against him for supposedly hurting religious feelings.
Sadly, M. M. Kalburgi was shot and killed on August 30, 2015. Two unknown men attacked him at his home in Dharwad district, Karnataka.
Contents
Early Life and Education
M. M. Kalburgi was born on November 28, 1938. His birthplace was Yaragal village, which is now in Sindagi taluk of Bijapur district, Karnataka. His parents, Madivalappa and Gowramma, were farmers.
He went to government schools in Yaragal and Sindagi for his early education. He finished high school in Bijapur. Kalburgi then earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from a college in Bijapur. In 1962, he received a post-graduate degree in Kannada language from Karnatak University in Dharwad. He even won a gold medal for his excellent work.
Career and Research
After earning his Master of Arts degree in Kannada, Kalburgi became a lecturer at Karnataka University. He taught Kannada to post-graduate students. In 1966, he was promoted to Professor in the Kannada Department. Later, in 1982, he became the Head of the department.
He also became the chairperson of the Basaveshwara Peetha. Kalburgi earned a PhD in Kannada. His important thesis was about "Kannada literature in the environs of Kavirajamarga."
Kalburgi was a well-known expert in Kannada epigraphy. He was also a respected scholar of Vachana sahitya. He helped edit many volumes of Vachana literature. He was also involved in translating these works into 22 different languages.
Kalburgi wrote 103 books and over 400 articles. His Marga series of books is very famous. While Marga 1 caused some discussions, Marga 4 won him awards. He received the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award and the national Sahitya Akademi Award in 2006 for this work.
Later in his life, he served as the vice-chancellor of the Kannada University in Hampi. After this, he retired. As vice-chancellor, Kalburgi started many research projects. These included recording the history of kaifiyats and Adil Shahi literature. He also studied ancient poets and lesser-known royal families. His research also focused on the 12th-century Sharana movement. He traveled to London, Cambridge, and Oxford universities to research manuscripts.
Kalburgi was the chief editor of Samagra Vachana Samputa. This work was published by the Government of Karnataka. He also worked as chairman of the Da Ra Bendre National Memorial Trust. He was a member of the Kannada Sahitya Academy's advisory board.
Assassination and Investigation
M. M. Kalburgi had received threats before. He had asked the government for security, but it was not always provided. He even asked for police protection to be removed a few days before his death.
On August 30, 2015, two men on a motorcycle arrived at Kalburgi's home in Dharwad. They knocked on his door. His wife, Umadevi, answered. The men pretended to be his students. She went to get them coffee. At 8:40 a.m. IST, one of the men shot Kalburgi twice. He was hit in the chest and forehead. The other man waited outside with the motorcycle running.
After the shooting, the attackers quickly rode away. An ambulance was called, and attempts were made to save Kalburgi. He was taken to a private hospital and then to the District Civil Hospital. Doctors there said he had died on the way. His body was cremated in Dharwad on August 31.
Many political leaders and social activists spoke out against Kalburgi's murder. The Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, called Kalburgi a "progressive thinker." He promised that the government would find the culprits and punish them. Writers like Girish Karnad led protests in Bangalore. Other protests happened across Karnataka. As a sign of protest, some writers, including Uday Prakash and Chandrashekhar Patil, returned their awards.
The police began investigating on the day of the murder. A special team was formed. They found no eyewitnesses to the shooting. However, CCTV footage showed "two youths aged between 24 and 28, wearing black clothes and riding a motorcycle." Police found two empty bullet casings at the scene. They said a 7.65 mm caliber gun was used.
Since there were no quick leads, the police decided to hand the case over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). While waiting for this, the Crime Investigation Department (CID) continued the investigation. On September 2, the Karnataka Police released sketches of the two suspects. These sketches were based on what Kalburgi's wife and another person saw.
Works
Kalburgi wrote more than 20 books, including:
- Kavirajamarga Parisarada Kannada Sahitya
- Marga (in 6 volumes)
- Neeru Neeradisittu
- Sarangarshi
- Kettitthu Kalyan
- Republic of Reason: Words They Could Not Kill – Selected Writings of Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi. (2015), Sahmat
Awards
- Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award (2006) for Marga 4
- Kendra (Central) Sahitya Akademi Award
- Janapad Award
- Yakshagana Award
- Pampa Award
- Nrupatunga Award
- Ranna Award
- Basava Puraskara (2013)
- Nadoja Award
See also
- Superstition in India
- Narendra Dabholkar
- Govind Pansare
- Gauri Lankesh
