Novelist Dr S L Bhyrappa has reiterated that whatever he has written in his novel Aavarana is the result of his search for truth about history. “I have referred to hundreds of history books before writing the novel. However, if anyone has doubts about the facts can refer to the books I have listed in my book,” he said.
He was speaking at a function organised to release Aavaranada Avalokana, a collection of articles on Aavarana, organised by Sundara Prakashana here on Sunday. Dr Bhyrappa said said he does not identify himself with either right or left school of thought.
“Out of my interest, I have studied history and my findings have resulted in a creative piece of work. I am fed up with debates and discussions on Aavarana. Allow me to think on something else,” he said.
Dr Syed Ejazuddin, well-known scholar, asked the public and writers not to judge a religion on the basis of what kings of that particular region did when they were in power. “If you want to judge the Islam religion, refer to saints and sufis, not rulers,” he said. Confusion prevailed in the hall for a few minutes when Kannada Sahitya Parishat president Prof Chandrashekhar Patil referred to Aavarana as the textbook of Chaddi (RSS cadres).
Many people asked him to stop his speech and alleged he had been repeating what U R Ananthamurthy had recently said about Aavarana. However, Prof Patil did not budge.
Condemning the uproar of a section of the audience, he said: “This is fascist attitude and highly undemocratic.”