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.
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23-year-old woman found dead at Delhi home; suicide suspected
New Delhi (PTI): A 23-year-old woman was found dead in her house in Delhi's Prem Nagar area, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide, an official said on Tuesday.
The deceased, identified as Anjali Singh, was found motionless in her room on Monday by her sister and her neighbour.
Police said her father, Vinod Kumar Singh (51), told them that he and his wife were away at work at the time of the incident, while their son and the other daughter were also not at home at the time of the incident.
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According to the family, the room in which Anjali was found was locked from the inside. The door was later forcibly opened by a neighbour and her sister with the help of a crowbar.
Her body was found lying on the bed inside the room, police said.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that Anjali had allegedly hanged herself using a piece of cloth tied to the ceiling fan.
It is suspected that the noose eventually might have loosened or torn off, resulting in her being found lying on the bed.
Family members informed the police that Anjali was a final-year student of a librarian science course from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). About a week ago, her final-year examination results were declared, and she had failed, following which she had been under depression, they said.
The family has not raised any allegation of foul play, police said, adding that no suicide note or external injury marks were found on the body during the initial inspection.
Inquest proceedings have been initiated in the matter as per the law. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of death, and further investigation is underway, police added.
