MP wants Bhyrappa to inaugurate Dasara festival

Member of Parliament Pratap Simha has renewed his demand, for inviting writer S L Bhyrappa to inaugurate the Dasara festivities, ahead of the Dasara preparations preliminary meeting, scheduled to be held on August 5. The Dasara will begin on October 2.

Simha has written a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in this regard and has pointed out that he cannot attend the meeting on Friday as the Parliament session is underway. This is the third year, he has been proposing the Saraswathi Samman recipient’s name for the honour.

In 2014, even though a couple of MLAs had seconded Simha’s proposal, finally Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad was chosen to do the honours. In 2015, citing drought, the state government planned to observe simple Dasara and approached farmer leader Kadidal Shamanna for the honour. As he did not agree, Puttaiah, a progressive farmer from HD Kote taluk, was chosen to launch the festivities. In 2013, another writer Chandrasekhar Kambara had inaugurated the Dasara festivities.

Even though born in Channarayapatna taluk of Hassan district, S L Bhyrappa studied in Mysuru and also worked here for a long time. After his retirement, he settled in the city and has been writing. After the BJP-led NDA formed the government at the Centre, he was also made the National Professor, a honorary research post. Amidst disappointment among his followers, that the Jnanpith award was long overdue to him, he bagged the Saraswathi Samman, which carries a bigger prize purse, in 2014.

Despite criticism by some writers that Bhyrappa is a hardcore Hindutva writer, his books are largely sought-after by the readers. His supporters say he is more popular among the readers than any of the ‘popular’ writers, whose statements appear in the media often. “He avoids media and concentrates on researching for his books. He prefers to write than speak.

His works are translated into many Indian and also foreign languages. His original Kannada works have seen multiple editions,” they point out.

However, a writer, who is close to Bhyrappa, said, “Bhyrappa is not too keen on any honour, but he would not decline, if he is chosen for inaugurating the coveted event. If at all, the chief minister wants a writer of Mysuru to inaugurate the event, why would he choose Bhyrappa? Everybody knows that writer Devanuru Mahadeva is a close friend of the chief minister,” he said.
DH News Service