Sunday, December 7, 2014
Friday, November 14, 2014
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Government and Doctors: Healers Unhealed.
Government and Doctors: Healers Unhealed.
It is one thing to say that quite a lot of medical doctors are irresponsible, corrupt and exploitative. It is entirely different when young doctors in Karnataka State are up against poor working condition and go on a strike demanding better amenities. Government ridiculed them. What is worse, when nearly three thousand doctors in the State were driven to desperation and tendered resignation enmasse as a month's notice to quit the job, the arrogant and insensitive Health Minister says, "let them go, we have alternative plan". A few patient died in the meantime without medical attention owing to the strike by doctors and Minister's attitude. What is the guarantee that the new doctors the Minister is going to hire would also be driven to desperation with the same kind of Government's attention they are getting? Besides, the government and the people would be losing the benefit of experienced doctors. Further, the enmity, ill will and negative attitude between Government and doctors would persist which works against the interest of both the party and the people. May be all that would take two to three years and by that time the term of the present Government end and the Minister would care less thereafter. This is the problem with majority of our politicians and the planning they undertake in the Government: they do not want to think beyond their term, five years, let alone people and the State at large for a long term welfare. For, projects that go beyond five years for fruition, as most of the worthwhile projects for people's benefit and welfare at large are, politicians are not interested as it would not count for their vote bank, to their credits and benefits. No wonder that our Roads, Power, Irrigation, Health, Education and what not Works would not last for more than five years, such is the quality of work they get it executed with large amount of pilferage that goes to where, how and why that we know!
It is one thing to say that quite a lot of medical doctors are irresponsible, corrupt and exploitative. It is entirely different when young doctors in Karnataka State are up against poor working condition and go on a strike demanding better amenities. Government ridiculed them. What is worse, when nearly three thousand doctors in the State were driven to desperation and tendered resignation enmasse as a month's notice to quit the job, the arrogant and insensitive Health Minister says, "let them go, we have alternative plan". A few patient died in the meantime without medical attention owing to the strike by doctors and Minister's attitude. What is the guarantee that the new doctors the Minister is going to hire would also be driven to desperation with the same kind of Government's attention they are getting? Besides, the government and the people would be losing the benefit of experienced doctors. Further, the enmity, ill will and negative attitude between Government and doctors would persist which works against the interest of both the party and the people. May be all that would take two to three years and by that time the term of the present Government end and the Minister would care less thereafter. This is the problem with majority of our politicians and the planning they undertake in the Government: they do not want to think beyond their term, five years, let alone people and the State at large for a long term welfare. For, projects that go beyond five years for fruition, as most of the worthwhile projects for people's benefit and welfare at large are, politicians are not interested as it would not count for their vote bank, to their credits and benefits. No wonder that our Roads, Power, Irrigation, Health, Education and what not Works would not last for more than five years, such is the quality of work they get it executed with large amount of pilferage that goes to where, how and why that we know!
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Creative Centres as Cemetery !
Art and Cultural Centre as Burial Ground.
Jnana Bharati is becoming Smashaana Bharati, Kalaagrama is becoming Shavaagrama . Artistic creation and knowledge discovery are the moments of conquering death, yet such places are made celebration of death by the thoughtless and heartless in the Karnataka Government by converting Art Centre in Bangalore University Campus into a cemetery, cremating celebrities. Sanctity of culture and its men of letters are sullied, Goddess Saraswati is devalued by such acts. I had felt the same when my senior, highly revered friend and National poet GSS was cremated there. I feel the same now when my even greater friend, a literary giant and thinker URA is cremated there. I see that great creative theatre personalities, Prasanna and Janni also feel the same.
Government, if they so want, must identify an independent land to cremate celebrities who brought laurels to Kannada, Culture and Karnataka, shift the existing two also there rather than using land meant for Education and Culture.
ಕಲಾ ತಾಣ ಸಮಾಧಿ ತಾಣ.
ಜ್ಞಾನ ಭಾರತಿ ಸ್ಮಶಾನ ಭಾರತಿಯಾಗಿದೆ, ಕಲಾಗ್ರಾಮ ಶವಾಗ್ರಾಮವಾಗಿದೆ. ಕಲೆ ಮತ್ತು ವಿಜ್ಞಾನದ ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಗಳು ಮೃತ್ಯುವನ್ನು ಜಯಸುವ ಕ್ಷಣಗಳು, ಆದರೆ ಅಂತಹ ತಾಣಗಳನ್ನು ಸಾವಿನ ವಿಜ್ರಂಭಣೆಯ ಸ್ಥಳವನ್ನಾಗಿ ಮಾಡಿದೆ ಬುದ್ಧಿಹೀನ, ಹೃದಯಹೀನ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಸರ್ಕಾರ. ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಯ ಹರಿಕಾರರನ್ನು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ವಿಸ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾಲಯ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದ ಕಲಾ ಗ್ರಾಮ ದಲ್ಲಿ ಶವ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರ ಮಾಡಿದೆ. ಇದರಿಂದ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಯ ಪಾವಿತ್ರ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಘನತೆ ತಂದವರಿಗೆ ಕಳಂಕ ತಂದಿದ್ದಾರೆ, ಸರಸ್ವತಿಯ ಅಪಮೌಲ್ಯ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ನನ್ನ ಹಿರಿಯರು, ಗೌರವಾನ್ವಿತ ಮಿತ್ರರು, ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರ ಕವಿ ಜಿಎಸ್ಸೆಸ್ಸ್ ರವರ ಶವ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಆದಾಗ ನನಗೆ ಹಾಗನಿಸಿತ್ತು. ಈಗ ನನ್ನ ಇನ್ನಷ್ಟು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ ಮಿತ್ರ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ ವಿಚಾರ ದಿಗ್ಗಜ ಅನಂತ ಮೂರ್ತಿ ಶವ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಆದಾಗಲೂ ಹಾಗನಿಸುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಈಗ ಸೃಜನಶೀಲ ರಂಗಕರ್ಮಿಗಳಾದ ಪ್ರಸನ್ನ ಮತ್ತು ಜನ್ನಿ ಅವರು ಇಂತಹದೇ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯ ಪಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಾರೆ
ಈಗಲಾದರು ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ, ಕನ್ನಡ, ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ ಗೆ ಕೀರ್ತಿ ತಂದವರ ಅಂತ್ಯ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರಕ್ಕೆ ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರ ಜಾಗವನ್ನು ಗುರುತಿಸಿ, ಈಗ ಇಲ್ಲಿವರುವ ಇಬ್ಬರದನ್ನು, ಮುಂದೆಲ್ಲರನ್ನು ಆ ಜಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಂತ್ಯ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರ ಮಾಡುವುದು ಒಳಿತು
Jnana Bharati is becoming Smashaana Bharati, Kalaagrama is becoming Shavaagrama . Artistic creation and knowledge discovery are the moments of conquering death, yet such places are made celebration of death by the thoughtless and heartless in the Karnataka Government by converting Art Centre in Bangalore University Campus into a cemetery, cremating celebrities. Sanctity of culture and its men of letters are sullied, Goddess Saraswati is devalued by such acts. I had felt the same when my senior, highly revered friend and National poet GSS was cremated there. I feel the same now when my even greater friend, a literary giant and thinker URA is cremated there. I see that great creative theatre personalities, Prasanna and Janni also feel the same.
Government, if they so want, must identify an independent land to cremate celebrities who brought laurels to Kannada, Culture and Karnataka, shift the existing two also there rather than using land meant for Education and Culture.
ಕಲಾ ತಾಣ ಸಮಾಧಿ ತಾಣ.
ಜ್ಞಾನ ಭಾರತಿ ಸ್ಮಶಾನ ಭಾರತಿಯಾಗಿದೆ, ಕಲಾಗ್ರಾಮ ಶವಾಗ್ರಾಮವಾಗಿದೆ. ಕಲೆ ಮತ್ತು ವಿಜ್ಞಾನದ ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಗಳು ಮೃತ್ಯುವನ್ನು ಜಯಸುವ ಕ್ಷಣಗಳು, ಆದರೆ ಅಂತಹ ತಾಣಗಳನ್ನು ಸಾವಿನ ವಿಜ್ರಂಭಣೆಯ ಸ್ಥಳವನ್ನಾಗಿ ಮಾಡಿದೆ ಬುದ್ಧಿಹೀನ, ಹೃದಯಹೀನ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಸರ್ಕಾರ. ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಯ ಹರಿಕಾರರನ್ನು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ವಿಸ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾಲಯ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದ ಕಲಾ ಗ್ರಾಮ ದಲ್ಲಿ ಶವ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರ ಮಾಡಿದೆ. ಇದರಿಂದ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಯ ಪಾವಿತ್ರ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಘನತೆ ತಂದವರಿಗೆ ಕಳಂಕ ತಂದಿದ್ದಾರೆ, ಸರಸ್ವತಿಯ ಅಪಮೌಲ್ಯ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ನನ್ನ ಹಿರಿಯರು, ಗೌರವಾನ್ವಿತ ಮಿತ್ರರು, ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರ ಕವಿ ಜಿಎಸ್ಸೆಸ್ಸ್ ರವರ ಶವ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಆದಾಗ ನನಗೆ ಹಾಗನಿಸಿತ್ತು. ಈಗ ನನ್ನ ಇನ್ನಷ್ಟು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ ಮಿತ್ರ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ ವಿಚಾರ ದಿಗ್ಗಜ ಅನಂತ ಮೂರ್ತಿ ಶವ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಆದಾಗಲೂ ಹಾಗನಿಸುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಈಗ ಸೃಜನಶೀಲ ರಂಗಕರ್ಮಿಗಳಾದ ಪ್ರಸನ್ನ ಮತ್ತು ಜನ್ನಿ ಅವರು ಇಂತಹದೇ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯ ಪಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಾರೆ
ಈಗಲಾದರು ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ, ಕನ್ನಡ, ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ ಗೆ ಕೀರ್ತಿ ತಂದವರ ಅಂತ್ಯ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರಕ್ಕೆ ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರ ಜಾಗವನ್ನು ಗುರುತಿಸಿ, ಈಗ ಇಲ್ಲಿವರುವ ಇಬ್ಬರದನ್ನು, ಮುಂದೆಲ್ಲರನ್ನು ಆ ಜಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಂತ್ಯ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರ ಮಾಡುವುದು ಒಳಿತು
Friday, August 22, 2014
URA ( 1932 - 2014 ): Quest-full and Intense.
When I joined Maharaja's College, Mysore, in 1959 for my Degree Course, U R Ananthamurthy ( URA ) had just joined as teacher in the English Department of Mysore University, in which he had studied his Degree and Post graduation. My close friends and school and college mates( also known as three inseparables ) since my secondary school days, Giri and G S Sadashiva, were prominent short story writers at that time itself and in whose circle of friends I always would be there as much as they were in my circles, took me to URA first in the College Canteen and subsequently to his residence, URA became a part my intellectual, social and personal climate ever since. What else! Being part of him is irresistible. Although he was a teacher and we were students, he treats us/everybody as equals and would jump into discussion on variety of issues with deep involvement and fresh ideas with a style that has a magical attraction for anybody who listens to him, and it is impossible not to be impressed and influenced, more often lastingly, or in any case in the initial stages at the least. Subsequently, much later, there were many functional relationship with us as well. When I was a President of the Federation of University Teachers Association, he was the President of on of its constituent Mysore University Teachers Association and together, among others, we used to conduct Meetings and even waged a demonstration and went on strike on some issues plaguing university teachers where URA was one of my staunch supporter. Later on, when I was Vice Chancellor, he came to Bangalore University as a visiting professor of English in the Kannada Department ( the post was vacant that time ) for full one year. He was also instrumental in getting Prof. Ramachandra Gandhi, renowned Philosopher ( also grandson of Mahatma Gandhi ) as visiting professor for Bangalore University.
The close interaction we had was of course in Mysore City, both at his residence and in Coffee House at Dasprakash Hotel circle. Almost every evening we used to visit Coffee House, two large tables were occupied by two groups each, one led by Poet and Professor Gopalakrishna Adiga where URA, K Sadashiva, P Lankesh(whenever he visited Mysore from Bangalore) and others formed the group. The other table is lead by D V Urs with V K Natraj, G N Ramu, and others with we triumvirate- Me, Giri and G S Sadashiva- shuttling between the two tables. Well known Kannada Literary Periodical, sakshi emanated from the Adiga group and an English periodical with socio-economic and political bent chanakya emanated from Urs group. ( Both the magazines are not in now ). Literary circle there was abuzz with URA, Girish Karnad, P Lankesh and C Kambar, besides Adiga, Bendre, Kuvempu, Kanavi, Putina, GSS and Karanth those days.
It was URA who introduced us to modernity and modern literature both in English such as T S Eliot, W B Yeats, J P Sartre, Albert Camus and Franz Kafka, and in Kannada such as Gopalakrishna Adiga andYashwant Chittala among others. There used to be heated discussion, as we walked from city or Crawford Hall to Saraswatipuram, all the heat by URA, on D H Lawrence to Simon De Bouvir, Shivaram Karanth to Rao Bahadur, R K Narayan to Rajarao. URA always bristled with fresh ideas, deep thinking and wide reading. His openness, affection and respect given to all around him is something astounding and endearing.
People have alleged URA as an opportunist, sides the power be to curry favour of awards or position. Whenever you interact with him or read his short stories, novels or other works he has written we at once realise that those allegation fall aside as irrelevant to his genius. His many short stories, novels and non fiction writings have brought light and freedom to many I have come across.
The close interaction we had was of course in Mysore City, both at his residence and in Coffee House at Dasprakash Hotel circle. Almost every evening we used to visit Coffee House, two large tables were occupied by two groups each, one led by Poet and Professor Gopalakrishna Adiga where URA, K Sadashiva, P Lankesh(whenever he visited Mysore from Bangalore) and others formed the group. The other table is lead by D V Urs with V K Natraj, G N Ramu, and others with we triumvirate- Me, Giri and G S Sadashiva- shuttling between the two tables. Well known Kannada Literary Periodical, sakshi emanated from the Adiga group and an English periodical with socio-economic and political bent chanakya emanated from Urs group. ( Both the magazines are not in now ). Literary circle there was abuzz with URA, Girish Karnad, P Lankesh and C Kambar, besides Adiga, Bendre, Kuvempu, Kanavi, Putina, GSS and Karanth those days.
It was URA who introduced us to modernity and modern literature both in English such as T S Eliot, W B Yeats, J P Sartre, Albert Camus and Franz Kafka, and in Kannada such as Gopalakrishna Adiga andYashwant Chittala among others. There used to be heated discussion, as we walked from city or Crawford Hall to Saraswatipuram, all the heat by URA, on D H Lawrence to Simon De Bouvir, Shivaram Karanth to Rao Bahadur, R K Narayan to Rajarao. URA always bristled with fresh ideas, deep thinking and wide reading. His openness, affection and respect given to all around him is something astounding and endearing.
People have alleged URA as an opportunist, sides the power be to curry favour of awards or position. Whenever you interact with him or read his short stories, novels or other works he has written we at once realise that those allegation fall aside as irrelevant to his genius. His many short stories, novels and non fiction writings have brought light and freedom to many I have come across.
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