The Hindu : Karnataka News : Rich tributes paid to Hanumanthaiya

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Karnataka

Rich tributes paid to Hanumanthaiya

Special Correspondent

Governor inaugurates the former Chief Minister’s birth centenary celebrations

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Remembering the leader: Governor Rameshwar Thakur paying tributes to the former Chief Minister Kengal Hanumanthaiya in Bangalore on Sunday.

Bangalore: The year-long birth centenary celebrations of the former Chief Minister of Mysore and architect of Vidhana Soudha Kengal Hanumanthaiya was inaugurated by Governor Rameshwar Thakur here on Sunday.

The Governor hailed Hanumanthaiya as one who belonged to the first generation of independent India’s political leadership. Mr. Thakur said he rose from a humble beginning to become a national leader, a statesman and a parliamentarian par excellence.

The function was organised by the Department of Kannada and Culture.

The Governor said Hanumanthaiya played an important role as member of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution. He sacrificed his legal practice to plunge into the freedom struggle and nationalised the Kolar Gold Fields. He gave a push to the development of Kannada literature by printing great works in Kannada and distributed books at affordable prices. As Railway Minister, he said Hanumanthaiya made the Railways a profit-making organisation. It was during his time that the Sharavathy hydro-electric project, the food control system and prohibition were introduced.

Mr. Thakur also inaugurated an photo exhibition on Hanumanthaiya and released the souvenir brought out by the departments of Information and Archives. Legislative Council Chairman B.K. Chandrashekar; the former Speaker Krishna; the former Chief Ministers M.Veerappa Moily and N. Dharam Singh; P.K.H. Tharakan, adviser to the Governor; and Chief Secretary Sudhakar Rao attended.

Mr. Chandrashekar, who heads the high-level committee on the celebrations, requested the government to open a permanent memorial for Hanumanthaiya.

He said that Mr. Moily, who is Chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission, had agreed to organise a national seminar on Hanumanthaiya in New Delhi. Mr. Chandrashekar said he had written to the Centre to bring out a postal stamp to commemorate the centenary.

A few persons, who knew Hanumanthaiya contribution would be requested to lecture on him.

Mr. Singh said while Hanumanthaiya built Vidhana Soudha at a cost of Rs.1.84 crore, the Vikasa Soudha cost the exchequer more than Rs.100 crore.

Mr. Krishna said politicians and bureaucrats should perform their work honestly and with integrity.

L. Hanumanthaiah, former MLC, said that the former Chief Minister protested in the Hyderabad Congress session when it decided to form only Andhra Pradesh and demanded that Bellary should be included in the unified Karnataka.

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