G N Ranganatha Rao.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Well-known journalist G N Ranganatha Rao (81) passed away in the city on Monday owing to age-related ailments. Rao is survived by his son and daughter. According to the family, his final rites were performed at the Chamarajpet crematorium on Monday evening.
Ranganatha Rao was born in Harohalli in 1942 and did his education in Hoskote and Bengaluru. Starting his career as a sub-editor in Samyuktha Karnataka, Rao went on to become the Executive Editor of the Prajavani group and retired from there. He has published over 30 books which include collections of small stories, novels, plays, and essays. After retirement, he has also guided many journalists through his books on journalism, which are now a resource material for many. ‘Hosa Thiruvu’, ‘Hindina Hejje’, and ‘Maasthiyavara Natakagalu’ are a few of his major collections of literary criticism. Rao has also translated many books to Kannada. Ramachandra Guha’s ‘India after Gandhi’, ‘Makers of Modern India’; Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘Antony Cleopatra’; and J D Bernal’s ‘Social Science in History’ are among his famous translations.
Considering his contribution to the field, Ranganath Rao was awarded the Khadri Shamanna Award for Journalism in 2009 and the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2018.