Centenarian Kannada lexicographer Prof G Venkatasubbaiah passes away
Bengaluru, Apr 19: Renowned lexicographer, Kannada writer and critic Professor Ganjam Venkatasubbaiah is no more, family sources said here.
He was 107.
Prof Venkatasubbaiah, fondly addressed as GV, was suffering from renal problems for the past few days and was admitted to a hospital for treatment.
He was due for discharge on Monday but suddenly his condition worsened and died on Sunday night, family members said.
Born on August 23, 1913 in Ganjam village of Srirangapatna in Mandya district, Venkatasubbaiah was the second among eight children of Ganjam Thimmannaiah.
He did his schooling in Bannur and Madhugiri and higher education in Mysuru.
The grammarian who had compiled 12 dictionaries had authored around 60 books and brought out four seminal works on dictionary science in Kannada.
His book Kannada Nighantu Shastra Parichaya and Klishtapada Kosha earned much acclaim in the Kannada literary circle.
Recipient of numerous awards including Padma Shri, Kannada Sahitya Akademi and Pampa Award, the centenarian was an eminent academician and a noted orator as well.
He became a household name for his popular column 'Igo Kannada' (This is Kannada) in a Kannada daily detailing the nuances of the language, its idioms and phrases.
Looking at the popularity and demand for the column, 'Igo Kannada' was brought out in the form of a book.
A patriot, Venkatasubbaiah was fascinated by the freedom struggle as well.
He had the opportunity to see Mahatma Gandhi who was on a drive to collect donations to sustain the freedom struggle in 1927.
As a young scout of 14 years, Venkatasubbaiah was assigned to make arrangements for Gandhi's stay in Madhugiri.
Recalling the incident on the 149th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2018, the grammarian said he was enthralled to see the huge turnout of people in Madhugiri to see the Mahatma.
"Mahatma Gandhi had delivered a speech for only ten minutes, that too in Hindi language and in front of Kannada people who did not know Hindi. All of them were villagers.
They were economically weaker and poor. Most of them were women. However, people who understood Gandhi's speech gave donations generously and participated in India's freedom struggle," the professor had recalled.
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and his cabinet colleagues joined many others in expressing grief over the demise of Venkatasubbaiah.
"The contribution of Prof G V for the development of Kannada language, its dictionary and literature is unparalleled. He has authored more than 60 books and 'Igo Kannada'. His continuous writing till the end fills one with amazement," the Chief Minister said.
Others such as Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Mines and Geology Minister Murugesh Nirani too condoled the death.
Former chief ministers H D Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah too expressed their sorrow over the death of Venkatasubbaiah.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka govt seeks agency to manage rural drinking water units: Minister
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday said the state government is working to appoint an agency to manage clean drinking water units in rural areas.
The state Rural Development and Panchayat Raj minister was responding to a question by Hirekerur MLA U B Banakar in the legislative assembly.
"In the rural areas of the state, many clean drinking water units have been set up under corporate social responsibility (CSR) grants, including contributions by MLAs and MPs, and handed over to gram panchayats. After the maintenance period, problems have arisen in keeping these units operational," Priyank said.
He added that a proposal has been made to award a maintenance contract to one of the country’s reputed drinking water unit manufacturing companies, but so far, no companies have come forward to take up the work.
ALSO READ: Woman threatens to end life as police official refuses to accept love proposal, FIR registered
"The government is continuing its efforts and will resolve this problem soon," he said.
On a query regarding fluoride content in water, the minister said water quality testing is being conducted monthly in all zilla panchayats.
"Laboratories have been opened for this purpose. Around 6.5 lakh water samples have been tested across the state, and water testing kits have been provided to villages," he added.
