SM Krishna's Last Letter Goes Viral: What Did The Late Former CM Have To Say?

Veteran politician and former Karnataka Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, passed away today at the age of 92. He had been suffering from age-related ailments and breathed his last at his residence in Sadashivanagar.

S.M. Krishna was a man of integrity throughout his political career. He began his political journey with the Prajadham Samajwadi Party, where he was elected as an MLA. Later, he joined the Congress Party, where he spent nearly 43 years, or 90 percent of his life, contributing to the party's success. In his final years, he shifted to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Before his passing, S.M. Krishna wrote a letter, which has since gone viral. It is a tradition for former politicians to write letters to convey messages, events, or important matters, and Krishna continued this practice until his last breath. His final letter is related to the Kannada Sahitya Sammelana and is as follows:

"My best wishes for the 87th All India Kannada Sahitya Sammelana being held in Mandya district. Mandya, which was formed as a result of the vision of Rajarshi Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, is the district with the largest number of Kannada speakers in the country. I wish the Kannada Siri Habba, which is being organized for the third time in our legendary Mandya district, great success."

"The Maharaja of Mysore, Jananuragi Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, established the Kannada Sahitya Parishat to enrich the literary world of Kannada. Since then, the Kannada language festival has been celebrated with great enthusiasm under the leadership of the ruling governments. Many senior writers of the Kannada Saraswata world have presided over the conference, promoting the Kannada language and supporting the government for the survival of Kannada."

"Literary conferences are not just public festivals but celebrations that promote the existence and identity of Kannada. Articles, books, and writings by many Kannada scholars have been published in these festivals, providing a taste of Kannada literature to many readers. With the advancement of technology, Kannada innovations have been refined, and its use has become prominent internationally, extending beyond state borders."

"Many eminent personalities worked tirelessly to achieve classical status for Kannada, and, as a result, during the tenure of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, we succeeded in granting Kannada official classical language status, a landmark achievement."

"Mandya, known for its hospitality, is a district where the people are dedicated to preserving and promoting the Kannada language. The credit goes to the people of Mandya district for their active participation in previous literary conferences and for treating the Kannada festival as their own. I was deeply impressed by the enthusiasm shown by participants at the earlier conferences. The 1994 Sahitya Sammelana, where Mrs. Jayadevi became the first woman president of the conference held in Mandya, remains a historical record."

"Similarly, in 1994, when I was the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, the conference organized under the leadership of Shri G. Made Gowda remains unforgettable. I fondly remember how Made Gowda united everyone and organized the conference with everyone's cooperation. I wish the current Sahitya Sammelana, under the protection of Jagadguru Sri Sri Balagangadharanath Mahaswamy, a similar success. I am also happy to see my friends, senior writers, and former Presidents of the Sahitya Parishad, especially the late Go. R. Channabasappa, who has been appointed as the current President of the conference. I wish him all the best."

"Mandya district has made immense contributions to the rich literary heritage of the country. It is essential to remember the great personalities who brought glory to Mandya and made it famous during this conference. Remembering the praise of the 'Garden of Peace for All Nations' by world poet Sri Kuvempu, who is an ideal for all, I wish the Sahitya Sammelana great success, and I extend my best wishes for the commemorative volume being released on this occasion."