A historian who became history

RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE

In 2019, while researching the history of my village, I met Reverend Father Anthappa at Clergy Home, a residence for the retired Catholic priests on the campus of Archbishop’s House. He was pale, tired, resting his once super energetic body in a wheelchair. As he was nearing his 90s, he had partially lost his ability to hear and recall.

As he saw me walking across the pavement, he looked at me like a curious child, expecting to hear my whereabouts. “Good Morning, Father. How are you?” I asked. I did not anticipate his answer. He replied in his quivering voice: “People who are alive today may not rise up to see the light of tomorrow.” Fr I Anthappa, as he was popularly known to people, was a Catholic historian and scholar who extensively researched the origins of Christianity, especially Catholicism in Karnataka. Recognising his dedication and honesty, Archbishop Thomas Pothakamuri, the then Archbishop of Bengaluru, sent him to Rome to pursue his PhD studies. Anthappa returned from Rome with flying colours thus becoming the first Kannada Catholic holding a doctoral degree. He put his heart and soul into making Kannada a principal language in Bangalore churches where Latin and Tamil were dominant. He was the head of the Bible Translation Committee that translated the Bible into Kannada.

As a historian, Rev Anthappa toiled hard to retrieve information. His primary source was letters written by the French and Jesuit missionaries to their superiors in Rome and elsewhere. Father Anthappa, with great difficulty, gained access to archives and museums which were restricted to very few. He travelled to Rome, Portugal, France, London, and Germany in search of articles indispensable for his research. He was a friend to all and foe to none. Fr Anthappa was a hard worker and was burning the midnight oil to do his literary and translation work. He was a historian who wrote several scholarly books on the origin and establishment of Christianity in the region. Out of the books he wrote, out of which “Origin of Christianity in and around Srirangapattanam,” originally written in Kannada, is well-appreciated and critically acclaimed. He loved to discuss his writings and other historical issues with like-minded people. Many of his books served for some research scholars as resource materials for their doctoral studies. He had associated himself with the top literary scholars in Karnataka and was an active member of Karnataka Sahitya Parishath. His talks were well-appreciated. Everyone admired his erudite knowledge on the subjects and scholarly presentations. His works were published in the state and national newspapers and magazines.

The Government of Karnataka, recognising his contributions to Kannada literature, had honoured him with the prestigious Rajyotsva Award in 2001 which he dedicated to all missionaries and Christian scholars who toiled for the development and growth of Kannada literature.