While the posts of three members are still lying vacant in Konkani Sahitya Academy, the Tulu Sahitya Academy is awaiting to welcome two more members. Basthi Vaman Shenoy, Vasanth Kumar Perla, Vishnu Naika (Konkani Academy) and Bannanje Babu Amin (Tulu Academy) resigned to their posts. Shankar Khanderi, whose name had figured in the list, had died an year ago!

The academies have been in news for different reasons after the end of their previous term. Though the last term ended on March 31, 2008, the government took six months to announce the names of the new heads for Konkani and Tulu Sahitya Academies. The academies were inactive for about half-an-year.

It was for the first time, only the names of the heads of the academies were announced but not the full team. It was in February 2009, the lists of the members were out, but unfortunately, there arose some new kind of problems.

Mistakes galore

To the surprise of many, the name of a dead person had figured in the list of Tulu Academy members. Dr Shankar Khanderi, the former District and Sessions Judge and a well known columnist, had passed away on June 12, 2008 but his name had appeared on the list announced on February 6, 2009!

The list had one more faux pas. It announced the name of one Jayakar Shetty Chitpady, but in fact, it was the name of somebody who had just proposed the name of one Eshwar Shetty Chitpady.

On the other hand, the Konkani Academy was trying to trace one of its ‘unidentified’ members until recently. The list had mentioned the name of one Panduranga Nayak, but without specifying his address. The academy was in confusion to know who is the real Panduranga Nayak since three persons with that name came forward! However, the academy successfully identified the member as Puttur Panduranga Nayak recently.

Four resign

Basthi Vaman Shenoy was the president of the Konkani Sahitya Academy from 1997 to 2000, and his name figuring out in the members’ list after eight years was in fact an embarrassment for him.

Vasanth Kumar Perla and Vishnu Naika identify themselves with Kannada literature but their name appearing in Konkani academy’s list was even a surprise for them too.
Meanwhile, Bannanje Babu Amin resigned to his post stating that he would be unable to concentrate on the academy activities since he was already active in many other works.

List awaits nod

Speaking to Deccan Herald, the Registrar for both the academies S H Shivarudrappa said the academies have sent the list of proposed members to the Kannada and Culture Department as soon as they received resignation letters from the four members, and now waiting for the announcement of fresh names.

Talking over telephone from Bangalore, Kannada and Culture Department Director Manu Baligar said: “The new list has been forwarded to the government, and once the list is cleared, the names will be announced”. However, he added that the academy activities will not be affected even though the process gets delayed.