Fiction writer Krishnamurthy Puranik remembered

Mangalore, August 17: Dakshina Kannada District Kannada Sahitya Parishad held a programme here as part of birth centenary year celebration of renowned fiction writer Krishnamurthy Puranik. The programme was held on August 17 at Government Teachers' Training Institute (T.T.I.) Auditorium, Balmatta, Mangalore.

September 5, 2011-12 is being celebrated as birth centenary year of Krishnamurthy Puranik.

Speaking on the life of the renowned writer, Dr. M. Prabhakar Joshi, senior scholar, said that Krishnamurthy Puranik was a big name in the field of fiction writing. He has written not just novels, but also poems, short stories, a couple of plays and over a hundred essays in Kannada. While some write books, Puranik was himself a book. He enhanced the place he lived in, he said.

Dr. Joshi said that he was known for simplicity in his writing. His novels were such that they could be given to anyone to read, without a second thought. His work must be re-evaluated in today's world, to know his real worth, he said. Two volumes of his collection must be brought out as a representation of his work, he opined.

He advised the students at the programme not to be misled by brands. Categorisation of literary writers has been in existence in Kannada literature. But this is not ethical. No writer or artist should be branded, he said.

S.L. Shastry, senior litterateur from Belgaum, said that Krishnamurthy had been inspired by the writings of renowned Shivaram Karanth. Krishnamurthy's life and writings were not dissimilar. The way he was able to write over 80 novels in his lifetime was by leading a disciplined life. He lived as a role headmaster, and was an example to many teachers. Most of his novels were inspired by real-life incidents, almost 15 of his novels have been made into cinema, he said.

Talking about the current scenario, he said that in the age of technology, people had lost interest in books. Computers have replaced books, and we are turning into machines. This programme is an effort to arouse interest towards literature in people, he said. He encouraged the future teachers to inspire their students to cultivate the habit of reading.

He was felicitated on the occasion.

Usha, Superintendent of Govt. T.T.I., Balmatta, said that reading books would bring a positive change in people.

S. Pradeep Kumar Kalkura, President of Dakshina Kannada District Kannada Sahitya Parishad, presided over the programme and spoke on the occasion. Vijayalakshmi B. Shetty, President of Kannada Sahitya Parishad, Mangalore taluk, was present.

Janardhan Hande, and Vidhusha Nirmala Nagaraj, individually sang Kannada songs on the occasion.