The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Litterateur knocking on closed doors

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 25, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Litterateur knocking on closed doors

A. Jayaram

U.R. Ananthamurthy has succeeded in making a point even though he may not win

Bangalore: One of the better known among the contemporary writers in Kannada, U.R. Ananthamurthy, is literally knocking on closed doors and soliciting votes from closed minds in the elections to the Rajya Sabha. On the other hand, three politicians and an industrialist who was so far not known beyond business and industry circles are sitting pretty, assured of easy victory in the elections.

Even though Dr. Ananthamurthy is likely to lose, he has already made a point by calling attention to the type of candidates being elected to the Rajya Sabha from the State. The thinking people of the State should be thankful to him for that.

The litterateur is right in saying that he has won at least the first round of the electoral battle with some of the smaller political groups in the Legislative Assembly and a few independents sponsoring his candidature. That may have more to do with the virtual split in the Janata Dal (Secular) and the circumstances leading to the fall of the previous government than any regard for the stature and contribution of Dr. Ananthamurthy. It is also noteworthy that the same group of MLAs behind the litterateur's candidature has also sponsored an NRI, Mike Mallappa, who too is contesting as an independent.

Dr. Ananthamurthy has entered the fray saying that he is contesting to uphold the dignity of Kannadigas and Kannada language. An unfortunate fallout of his decision to contest is the attack on him by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and some of his fellow litterateurs, especially D. Javare Gowda, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mysore, and Chandrashekar Patil, President of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat.

`Freeway to Rajya Sabha'

For at least the past two decades, apart from professional politicians, candidates from outside the State, in particular leading industrialists and businessmen, have come to regard the Karnataka Legislative Assembly as the "freeway to reach the Rajya Sabha." It is being said that political parties support them even though they contest as independents because there exists a quid pro quo.

Political parties, especially those in power in the State, have never viewed the Upper Chamber of Parliament to be anything different from the Lower Chamber. An overwhelming majority of those elected to the Rajya Sabha from the State have been professional politicians. The party bosses have not seen the need to elect candidates with better qualifications, credentials or record of service.

One of the very few exceptions was the election to the Rajya Sabha of the renowned journalist Benegal Shiva Rau, who was the political correspondent of The Hindu in New Delhi. He is also known for his monumental work, "The Framing of the Constitution of India," based on the papers belonging to his illustrious elder brother, Sir Benegal Narasinga Rau, who was the Adviser to the Constituent Assembly. But that was in the 1950s. Even a well-known Gandhian, the U.S.-educated doctor N.S. Hardiker, had to get elected from another State.

It is also noteworthy that not many from Karnataka have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha. A study made by the Institute of Parliamentary Affairs here shows that of the 102 persons nominated to the Rajya Sabha between 1952 and 2003, only six have been from Karnataka as against 24 from Maharashtra and 17 from Uttar Pradesh.

Six nominees

The six were R.R. Diwakar and Joachim Alva (journalists), well-known scientist Raja Ramanna, well-known writer R.K. Narayan, Selvie Das, former Vice-Chancellor, University of Mysore and member of the Union Public Service Commission, and former ISRO Chairman K. Kasturirangan, who is domiciled in the State. Another eminent person with long connections with Karnataka (Mysore) who was nominated to the Rajya Sabha was A.R. Wadia, who was professor of philosophy in the University of Mysore.

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