Karnataka   

Four chosen for Nadoja Award

Honoured: (Clockwise from top) Sukri Bommagowda, tribal folk artiste; Siddalingaiah, chairman of Kannada Development Authority; Shantarasa Hemberalu, litterateur from Raichur district and S.R. Nayak, chairman of the State Human Rights Commission.

Hampi: Shantarasa Hemberalu, a well-known litterateur from Raichur district, Siddalingaiah, chairman of Kannada Development Authority, who is also known as ‘Dalita kavi’, S.R. Nayak, chairman of the State Human Rights Commission and Sukri Bommagowda, a tribal folk artiste, have been chosen for the prestigious “Nadoja” (teacher of the State) award, which is equivalent to a honorary D. Litt degree, by the Kannada University. It is in recognition of their contribution to the propagation of Kannada language, literature, culture and tradition of the State and for social service.

The Nadoja would be conferred by Governor Rameshwar Thakur, who is also the chancellor of Kannada University, at its 16th ‘nudi habba’ (convocation), to be held at the university campus on January 5, according to Prof. Hi.Chi. Boralingaiah, acting vice-chancellor.

He said that Mr. Hemberalu is a versatile personality. He is a poet, short-story writer, novelist, playwright, researcher and translator. The literary culture that prevails in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region is because of his efforts. Mr. Hemberalu has three poetry collections to his credit — “Maanasagalli”, “Bayalu Seemeya Bisilu”and “Ghazal and Bidi Dwipadi”. The last is an experiment to bring in the much-celebrated urdu ghazal and shayiri forms into Kannada. But his main forte has been short-stories, reflecting the problems of his region and its people.

Mr. Nayak, during his tenure at the High Court of Andhra Pradesh, won laurels for Karnataka through his sagacious judgments, most of them having been landmark judgments. He had also served as the Governor and President of the Andhra Pradesh Judicial Academy, and was instrumental in revitalising the administration and the functioning of the academy, making it a premium training institute in the country.

Octogenarian Ms. Bommagowda, an illiterate belonging to Halakki Vokkaliga community in Uttara Kannada district, is known for her rich repository of songs, stories and poetry.

Born a gifted narrator/artiste, she can narrate anything in the form of a story, a song or through fables. She learnt traditional songs from her mother and grandmother and later created songs using her ingenuity. Hers is a case of "tradition and individual talent".

She has maintained the original tone and voice of tradition and she teaches the younger generation of her community.

Her repository of oral epics comprises Madevaraaya, Chandanaraaya, Raama-Lakshmana, Airavata, Kunthi kate, Siri Kavuli among others. She can sing the narrative songs on Balindraraaya, Govindaraaya, Tangi Tulasamma and Karidevaru, in addition to songs that are sung during agricultural activities and occasions like marriage.

As a votary of non-alcoholism and environment protection, she has taken a leading role in the campaign against liquor and claims with pride that in her village, Badageri Koppa, no man has the courage to take alcohol.

She is an ideal representative of her community and a model to other women of Karnataka.

Prof. Siddalingaiah, an eminent scholar of folklore studies, is a voice that shored up literary and social movements of the 1970s and 80s. The slogans of the movement were penned by Prof. Siddalingaiah. The language of poetry, its theme, and its purpose were in a new style. His first poetry collection “Hole Maadigara Haadu”, (Songs of Hole-Maadiga, two major Dalit communities of Karnataka) was published in 1975. When there was a cry that Dalit literature had not produced plays, it was again he who rose to the occasion penning “Panchama” and “Nelasama” and later “Ekalavya”.

The announcement of the Nadoja award has increased my responsibility towards society, said Mr. Siddalingaiah. He attributed the award to the wishes of pro-Kannada activities and welfare of the marginalised sections of the society.

Mr. Siddalingaiah said that the decision of distributing Kannada Kuvara and Kannada Kuvari award would be implemented in the new academic year.

The award is to encourage students to take Kannada as a subject in high schools and pre-university colleges. The award would go to three students having highest marks in Kannada from SSLC and PU colleges of every district of the State.

The award will comprise a cash prize and a citation, he added.

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