Kannada litterateur, activist Chandrashekar Patil passes away

Bengaluru, Jan 10: Veteran Kanna poet, playwright Prof. Chandrashekar Patil, popularly known as 'Champa', passed away on Mond, due to age related ailments. He was 83. He was considered one of the foremost voices of the Bandaya movement.

Champa was the editor of the influential literary journal Sankramana started with two of his friends Siddalinga Pattanashetti and Giraddi Govindaraj in 1964. He was known for leading many social and literary movements such as Gokak agitation, Bandaya movement, anti-Emergency agitation, agitation for the implementation of Mandal report, Farmer's movement amongst others.

After retiring as professor of English from Karnatak University, Patil served as the President of Kannada Sahitya Parishat and as the Chairman of Kannada Development Authority.

Protesting the assassination of his friend and Vachana scholar M. M. Kalburgi, he recently returned his Pampa Award, the highest literary honour of the government of Karnataka.

His popular works include poetries like- Banuli, Madhyabindu, 19 Kavanagalu, also plays like Kodegalu, Appa, Gurtinavaru, among others, including several essays. He also wrote in English like- "At the other end", which is an anthology of his poems.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai condoling Patil's death said his contribution to Kannada literary field is immense and his passing away has created a huge void.

Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, former Chief Ministers- Siddaramaiah, H D Kumaraswamy, several of Bommai's cabinet colleagues and political and literary figures have condoled Patil's death.