Governor makes some candid confessions

"I am neither a philosopher, nor a politician. Whenever I enter these streams, I commit mistakes. I am often made out to be a politician, but in actuality, I am more of a lawyer - a strict one at that," said Bhardwaj who was inspired by the works of Rashtrakavi Kuvempu.
He also described himself as a "prisoner" of his own self.

Expressing his desire for "being liberated" -- the core philosophy of Kuvempu's 'O Nanna Chetana', Bhardwaj said that Kuvempu achieved this transcendental feat, a phenomenon that most people had even failed to comprehend.

"The beauty that nature bestows reads best only in Kuvempu’s works. Even great scientists have failed to understand the power behind the Cosmos. But Kuvempu immediately reaches there. He has exhibited that when the soul travels out of the body, it is liberated from all shackles. Everybody is a prisoner, including me. I am a prisoner of Raj Bhavan. However, literature has kept me on the right track in these turbulent times," he jested.

The Governor, who drew a parallel between Kuvempu and Mahatma Gandhi, said that both of them laid thrust on equitable justice - something which he had tried to incorporate himself in his personal and professional life. He said he was instrumental in the appointment of two dalit vice-chancellors in Mangalore and Gulbarga, an exercise, the State government had negated.

"Mangalore University V-C Shivashankara Murthy has helped instil a lot of peace in the turbulent and conflicted district. His name was nowhere in the government's recommendation. I heard about him, and insisted that he be appointed. Gulbarga, which hosts a large tribal population including the Banjara community, has seen no progress. I asked for a good professor from this community, fought for him and brought him in. The SC and ST communities have suffered to a large degree, because of us. Kuvempu however has liberated himself from all of these," he added.

Kuvempu’s works interests Guv

A group of scholars and litterateurs paid a special tribute to Rashtrakavi Kuvempu at an event organised by Samudra Foundation at Raj Bhavan on Thursday.

The surprise element was the keen involvement of the Governor Bhardwaj in understanding and demystifying Kuvempu, adding a special charm to the affair that was replete with melodious renditions of the poet's creations.

Bhardwaj waxed eloquent about Kuvempu and gave a call to translate Kuvempu's works into English and Hindi, and said the poet should not be restricted to Karnataka. He also said that he was himself researching on the Rashtrakavi's works.

Prof Manu Chakravarthy who spoke on aesthetics of Kuvempu’s works and his philosophical concerns said the poet’s transcendental text marked his travel towards spiritual destiny.