All you need to know about slain rationalist and scholar MM Kalburgi

Professor Malleshappa Madivalappa Kalburgi was a former vice-chancellor of Hampi University and a well-known left ideologue. He had won the Sahitya Akademi award in 2006 for his collection of research articles titled Marga 4. He had reportedly been facing death threats from right wing groups for several years for his works and ideology.

Early Life

Kalburgi was born to Madiwalappa and Gowramma (agriculturalists) on November 28, 1938 in Yaragal in Sindhagi taluk of Vijayapura district, Karnataka. He did his early schooling in Yaragal and Sindhagi and higher education in Vijayapura and at the Karnatak University, Dharwad (KUD).

He did his MA in Kannada and was a gold medalist. He joined the Karnatak College, Dharwad as lecturer and taught at the post-graduate department of Kannada there. He became an HOD at the college. He later went on to become the chairperson of Basaveshwara Peetha. He did his Ph.d in Kannada. His thesis was titled ’Kaviraja Margada Parisaradalli Kannada Sahitya’.

His works

Kalburgi had authored 103 books and more than 400 articles. The Marga series is one of his most noted works. As VC of Hampi University, he initiated many research and publication works. He worked on a project to document the history of kaifiyats, Adilshahi literature, ancient poets, and lesser known royal families.

Kalburgi was an authority on Vachana literature. He was the editor of the series on Vachanas and worked on the translation of these into 22 languages as well.

Two major controversies in his life

In the 1980s he came under fire from the Lingayat community in Karnataka. He was accused of making derogatory references to Basava, a 12th century philosopher, and his family in his book Marga 1. Basava is revered by the Lingayat community. He was forced to recant his views but stated that he did it to save his family.

In 2014, he supported another Kannada writer, UR Ananathamurthy, who was embroiled in a controversy for recounting why he had urinated on religious idols. Kalburgi spoke against idol worship in Hinduism. There were protests by right-wing groups like the Vishva Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and Sri Ram Sena against this.

Awards won by Kalburgi

Kalburgi won many national and state-level awards for his works, including the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award, Kendra (Central) Sahitya Akademi Award, Janapada Award, Yakshagana Award, Pampa Award, Nrupatunga Award, Ranna Award and Basava Puraskara.