G Rajashekhar Memorial Fellowship announced ahead of his birth anniversary
Mangaluru: On the occasion of what would have been G Rajashekhar's birthday, the first G Rajashekhar Memorial Fellowship has been announced, honoring the memory of the late public intellectual and activist who passed away a year ago. While Rajashekhar was known to downplay the significance of birthdays, this day serves as an opportunity to commemorate his enduring legacy.
G Rajashekhar's early literary works, such as 'Kagodu Satyagraha,' were made possible through the support of prominent figures like renowned writer U R Ananthamurthy and theater personality K V Subbanna. 'Kagodu Satyagraha,' a seminal work rooted in historical research and reportage, stands today as a significant chronicle of a pivotal people's movement in Karnataka's post-independence history. The G Rajashekhar Memorial Fellowship seeks to inspire young Kannada writers, researchers, and journalists to produce works akin to 'Kagodu Satyagraha'—works that capture the essence of our times.
Key Details of the Fellowship:
- Grant: The selected candidate will receive a grant of Rs. 80,000, disbursed over six months. Eligible candidates fall within the age group of 23-35.
- Proposal Submission: Applicants are required to submit a research proposal outlining their chosen research topic and methodology.
- Research Focus: Candidates are expected to conduct in-depth historical research, presenting data-driven evidence and comprehensive reportage on their selected subject.
- Advisory Board: An advisory board comprising distinguished academicians, journalists, and writers will oversee and guide the candidate throughout the research and writing process.
- Priority Groups: Women candidates and individuals from marginalized or minority communities will be given priority.
- Suggested Research Topics: While proposals on various social issues are welcome, some suggested topics include communal hatred, syncretic legacies, caste hierarchies, systemic failures, migration patterns for livelihood, and more. The final decision rests with the advisory board.
- Proposal Submission: Interested individuals can submit their proposals to grskksv@gmail.com.
Advisory Board Members:
- H S Anupama, Writer
- Rahamat Tarikere, Writer, Retired Professor
- Raghunandana, Poet, Playwright, Theatre Director
- D Umapathi, Writer, Senior Journalist
- N A M Ismail, Writer, Media Analyst
- Nithesh Kuntadi, Co-Editor, Ruthumana
- K Phaniraj, Writer, Activist
The G Rajashekhar Memorial Fellowship aims to foster research and literary excellence while promoting the exploration of critical social issues and their historical contexts. Through this initiative, the legacy of G Rajashekhar continues to inspire and empower young voices in Karnataka, a press statement from the organising committee asserted.
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PM Modi, RSS strengthening wall in path of SCs, STs, OBCs: Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS were strengthening the wall standing in the path of Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs, even as he acknowledged that the UPA took steps to weaken that wall but not to the extent it should have.
Addressing the 'Samvidhan Rakshak Abhiyaan', Gandhi also referred to the function held on Constitution Day in Parliament and said that it is his guarantee, that "Modi has not read" the Constitution.
"If PM Modi would have read this book then what he does daily, he would not do it," Gandhi said, displaying a copy of the Constitution of India.
Gandhi said the country's whole system is pitted against Dalits, Adivasis and backward class people.
He said a wall obstructs the path of Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs and Modi and the RSS are strengthening that wall by "adding cement to it".
"Slowly the wall (obstructing the path of SCs, STs, OBCs) is getting strengthened. Earlier, the UPA government gave MGNREGA, the land acquisition act, the right to food...those were ways to weaken that wall. Today, when I look back, I can say the UPA government did not weaken the wall to the extent it should have, it did not do it as strongly as it should have," Gandhi said.
"However, we used to make efforts to weaken that wall but they (the BJP) are strengthening that wall by adding concrete," the former Congress president said.
Gandhi said a caste survey being carried out in Telangana is a historic step and the Congress will do the same wherever it comes to power.
