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Bendre a people's poet, says Amur

Staff Correspondent

`He brought the essence of the Vedas into poetry' `While some critics described Bendre as Janapada Dasayya, he actually brought the essence of the Vedas into his poetry'

HUBLI: "Da. Ra. Bendre was not only a great poet but also a dramatist, critic, mathematician and a great orator," the noted critic and winner of the Da. Ra. Bendre National Award, G.S. Amur, has said.

Delivering the keynote address at the valedictory of the three-day celebrations to mark the 110th birth anniversary of Bendre organised by the Bendre Research Institute and the Bendre Sangeet Academy at the Bendre Kutir here on Monday, he said Bendre's greatness as a poet lies in the fact that he has been acknowledged as the people's poet.

While some critics described him as "Janapada Dasayya," he actually brought the essence of the Vedas into his poetry, Dr. Amur said.

"Bendre fought against British Imperialism for which he was imprisoned. Like Mahatma Gandhi, he not only fought imperialism but also created an alternative culture assimilating the best of the East and the West.

He was a great dramatist and we find poetry inbuilt in his plays," Dr. Amur said.

Presiding over the function, K. Raghavendra Rao, trade union leader, was critical of the attitude of some critics towards Bendre's plays and said there seems to be a "conspiracy of silence" among litterateurs, which exposes the politics in the literary world.

He recollected his association with Bendre.

Released

Three Plays of Da. Ra. Bendre by Dr. Raghavendra Rao; the 13th edition of Gari by Bendre; three anthologies of Bendre's poems by Krishnaji Kurtakoti, Veena Shirali and Shyamala Kulkarni; and Nantu, a collection of essays on Bendre authored by Sangamesh Thammanagouda, were released on the occasion.

Musicologist Vasantidevi R. Jantli declared open the "Bendre Sangeet Vidyalaya." K.S. Sharma, director of the Bendre Research Institute, announced that the institute will publish the collected plays of Bendre in April to mark the birth centenary of Laxmibai Bendre, wife of Da. Ra. Bendre.

Vaman Bendre, co-director of the institute, welcomed the gathering. Ravindra Shirolkar proposed a vote of thanks.

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