Five from Karnataka honoured with Padma Shri awards

Five personalities from Karnataka including popular Dalit poet late Prof Siddhalingaiah have been selected for Padma Shri awards, recognising their achievements in different fields.

Siddalingaiah (Posthumous) Literature and Education:

Siddalingaiah (1954-2021), a Dalit activist, also wrote a number of poems and books. He is credited with starting the Dalit-Bandaya movement in Kannada, as well as starting the genre of Dalit writing in Kannada literature.

He was at the forefront of Dalit politics in Karnataka in the 1980s and 1990s and was one of the founders of Dalit Sangharsha Samiti.

His poem ‘Yaarige Bantu Yellige Bantu Nalavattera Swatantrya (Who received freedom and where is the freedom of 1947?)’ became an anthem of the Dalit movement in Karnataka.

He was served as member of the Legislative Council for two terms between1988-1994 and 1995-2001. He was also a former chairman of the Kannada Development Authority and Karnataka Book Authority.

Subbanna Ayyappan (Science and Engineering):

Prof Ayyappan is the former Director-General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Secretary to Government, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Chancellor of Central Agricultural University, Manipur.

A native of Bengaluru, he is a reputed Aquaculture Scientist and played a key role in powering India's Blue Revolution.

Dr Ayyappan holds a PhD from Bangalore University and a master’s degree in Fish Production and Management from the College of Fisheries in Mangalore. He has published extensively in areas of fisheries, limnology, and aquatic microbiology."

H R Keshavamurthy (Art):

Murthy is a Gamaka exponent from Hosahalli in Shimoga district. He is one of the artists featured in the sound tracks of Gamaka available from Gamaka Kala Parishat (Gamaka Art Academy), that is located in Hosahalli. He was honoured for preserving the Kavya Vachana artform of storytelling.

Abdul Khader Nadakattin (Innovation in Agriculture):

Abdul Khader Imamsab Nadakattin in the village of Annigeri in Naval­gund taluk of Dharwad district. He is credited with over 40 innovations that assist small and marginal farmers across India.

A farmer scientist himself, Abdul started the Vishwashanti Agricultural Centre at Annigeri.

One of his popular innovations is Nadakattin five-in-one. This equipment can perform five actions – deep digging, uprooting the grass when the farmland is wet, spraying herbal pesticides, applying fertilisers – and can be used even if the gap between the lines is four feet and can cover 20-25 acres in 12 hours.

Amai Mahalinga Naik (Agriculture):

Naik is a farm labourer and a green revolutionary, known to many as the 'one-man-army'. He is known for single-handedly transforming 2 acres of a barren plot of land into a lush organic farm.

His farm in Adyanadka near Mangaluru, has over 300 areca nut palms, 75 coconut trees, 150 cashew trees, 200 banana plants and pepper vines.

Watch latest videos by DH here: