Padma Bhushan winning Kannada writer SL Bhyrappa dies of age-related health issues
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Bengaluru (PTI): Popular Kannada novelist and philosopher S L Bhyrappa died due to cardiac arrest at a private hospital here on Wednesday. He was 94 and is survived by his wife and two sons.
"The legendary Indian novelist, philosopher, Padma Shri, Padmabhushana, and Saraswathi Samman awardee Shri S L Bhyrappa suffered a cardiac arrest today at 2.38 pm and reached the lotus feet of the Almighty. Om Shanti !!!," Rashtrotthana Hospital said in a statement.
According to sources, Bhyrappa's body would be kept at Ravindra Kalakshetra in Bengaluru for people to pay their last respects on September 25, and his cremation is likely to be held on September 26 in Mysuru, where he lived for many years.
Expressing grief over Bhyrappa's demise, the Karnataka government has decided to perform his last rites with full state honours.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the death of Bhyrappa and described him as a "towering stalwart" who stirred people's conscience and delved deep into the soul of India.
"In the passing of Shri S L Bhyrappa Ji, we have lost a towering stalwart who stirred our conscience and delved deep into the soul of India. A fearless and timeless thinker, he profoundly enriched Kannada literature with his thought-provoking works. His writings inspired generations to reflect, question, and engage more deeply with society," Modi said.
"His unwavering passion for our history and culture will continue to inspire minds for years to come. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this sad hour. Om Shanti," he said.
Bhyrappa has been the bestselling novelist for over 25 years now. His novels are widely translated to English and pan Indian languages.
He is known for depicting fundamental human emotions in his works, along with sharing his knowledge on Indian philosophical and cultural traditions.
Bhyrappa has penned about 25 novels and four volumes of literary criticism and books on aesthetics, social issues, and culture, among others. He is known for his popular novels 'Vamshavriksha', 'Daatu', 'Parva', and 'Mandara', among others.
He was a recipient of Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, Saraswati Samman, Sahitya Akademi Award,s among other honours.
His works like 'Naayi-Neralu', 'Matadana', 'Vamshavriksha', 'Tabbaliyu Neenaade Magane', have been adapted into films.
Bhyrappa's autobiography is titled Bhitti (Canvas).
Born in Santeshivara, a village in the Channarayapatna taluk of Hassan district on August 20, 1931, Bhyrappa held an MA in Philosophy and a PhD in Aesthetics. He served as a Professor of Philosophy for over three decades at NCERT.
Bhyrappa is often regarded as a "right-wing writer" with pro-Hindutva leanings, particularly for his novel 'Avarana', which deals with the themes of Islamic invasion of India and religious conversion.
Expressing grief, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a post on 'X' said, "The literary world has been left poorer by the death of Bhyrappa, who had a huge readership due to his writing style." JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda said, "Bhyrappa's passing away is an irreparable loss to the Kannada literary world, as he gave the world excellent novels and touched the hearts of millions of readers." Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy said, the death of Bhyrappa, who transformed the very way of perceiving and reading the Mahabharata and Ramayana through his novels, Parva and Uttarakanda, has come as a "profound shock".
Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, former CM B S Yediyurappa, Leader of Opposition in Assembly R Ashoka, state BJP President B Y Vijayendra, among others condoled the death.
Writer and Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty and her husband Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy were among those who visited the hospital to pay last respects to Bhyrappa.
"We have lost a literary stalwart. His contribution to Kannada literary work is immense," Sudha Murty told reporters.
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Pak police registers case against unidentified gunmen for opening fire on LeT co-founder
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Lahore (PTI): Pakistan's Punjab Police on Friday registered a case against unidentified gunmen for opening fire on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder Amir Hamza, who suffered bullet injuries in the attack in Lahore.
On Thursday, two unidentified gunmen riding on a bike opened fire on the vehicle of the private TV channel 24NewsHD TV, owned by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, on Peco Road in Lahore near the TV channel's office.
In the attack, Hamza suffered bullet injuries.
"The FIR has been registered against unidentified gunmen, but it is sealed forthwith," a senior police officer told PTI.
He said the intelligence agencies have taken over this case from the police, and they are currently investigating the matter.
The channel's religious programme host Justice (retd.) Nazir Ahmed Ghazi and Hamza were in the vehicle when it was attacked. Hamza was shifted to a hospital for treatment.
Punjab police on Friday said that "upon receiving information about the incident, the SSP Operations immediately reached the scene and a high alert was imposed in the area. SSP Operations Tauqeer Naeem also met the affected individuals. Thankfully, all present in the vehicle remained safe during the firing."
It further said senior police officers of the Township and Chung, along with a heavy police contingent, were present at the scene.
"Police collected evidence from the site and initiated an investigation. Efforts to arrest the suspects are underway using CCTV footage and geo-fencing techniques. Search and sweep operations are being conducted at various locations, with scrutiny of suspicious individuals ongoing," police said.
It added that those involved in the incident will be traced and arrested soon.
The police sources said that Hamza has been shifted to his residence in Jauhar Town, Lahore, where police and agency personnel met him.
The leadership of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a political front of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's banned Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD), including Hafiz Saeed's son Hafiz Talha Saeed, also called on him.
TV host retired Justice Ghazi, who remained unhurt in the attack, remained a legal counsel for Hafiz Saeed, they said.
The PMML has strongly condemned the attack on Hamza and demanded that those involved in the incident be arrested immediately.
Hamza is regarded as LeT's second most important leader after its chief Hafiz Saeed, who has been in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail since 2019 after getting convicted for several years in terror financing cases.
Hamza has been designated as a terrorist by the US. In the past, he served as the head of LeT's "special campaigns" department.
In 2018, Hamza formed a fundraising group for the LeT following a ban on the JuD and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation by the Pakistani government.
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