No floral procession, no VVIPs: Girish Karnad's last wishes honoured in cremation

Death

Legendary actor and playwright, Girish Karnad passed away at his residence in Bengaluru on Monday morning at the age of 81.

TNM Staff

Honouring his last wishes, there was no floral procession or visits by VIPs following the demise of noted Kannada playwright, actor, and author Girish Karnad. "After a discussion with his son, it was made clear to us that his last wish was to not have any floral procession,  VVIPs or visits of any dignitaries. Hence, it will be a simple affair and we will be leaving for the crematorium in Frazer Town at 1 pm, and his cremation will be at 2 pm," DCP, Bengaluru Central, Devaraja D told TNM in Bengaluru. Girish Karnad passed away at his residence in Bengaluru on Monday morning at the age of 81. Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy announced a holiday for government offices, schools and colleges on Monday following his demise. Schools will individually take a decision on sending students home today. Kumaraswamy also announced that the legend will be cremated with state honours in Bengaluru, and also announced a three-day mourning period in the state. The actor and playwright’s death prompted reactions from many writers and politicians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and President Ram Nath Kovind. Read: Lost a 'crown jewel' of Indian art: Writers, politicians mourn Girish Karnad's death He is regarded as one of Kannada literature's foremost playwrights having written classics like Yayati, Tughlaq, Hayavadana and Nagamandala. He has also acted in Kannada and Hindi films. He famously reprised the role of Swami's father in the television adaptation of Malgudi Days, a series of short stories written by RK Narayan, which aired on Doordarshan in the 1990s.   In recent years, he was frequently seen in protests held in Bengaluru including at the 'Not in My Name' protest in 2017 and on the anniversary of the death of journalist Gauri Lankesh. He was present at the protests despite having a tube around his nose for respiratory issues. Read: Girish Karnad passes away, end of an era in Indian theatre and cinema

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Karnataka government announces holiday on account of Girish Karnad's demise

Death

The 81-year-old had passed away at his residence in Bengaluru on Monday.

TNM Staff

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday announced a holiday on Monday over the passing of noted playwright, actor and author Girish Karnad.  "It will be a holiday today for one day for all government offices, schools and colleges due to the sudden demise of Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad. He will be cremated with state honours and there will be three days of mourning. It is also clarified that this is in accordance with the steps taken by the government when Jnanpith award winners have previously passed away", a statement from the CM office said.   Schools will individually decide on whether they will be declaring a holiday for the rest of the day. Earlier on Monday, it was confirmed that the 81-year-old had passed away at his residence in Bengaluru. His cremation will be held at Baiyappanahalli crematorium in East Bengaluru later in the day. Girish Karnad is one of Kannada literature's foremost playwrights. Following the news of his death, condolences poured in from across the country including from Prime Minister Narendra Modi Read: Lost a 'crown jewel' of Indian art: Writers, politicians mourn Girish Karnad's death He has written numerous plays and has also acted in a number of Kannada and Hindi films. He was conferred the Padma Shri award in 1974 and the Padma Bhushan in 1992 by the Indian government. He was awarded the Jnanpith award in 1999, the highest literary prize in India for his contribution to literature and arts.  Read: Girish Karnad passes away, end of an era in Indian theatre and cinema

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Lost a 'crown jewel' of Indian art: Writers, politicians mourn Girish Karnad's death

Death

Girish Karnad passed away at his home in Bengaluru on Monday. He was 81.

TNM Staff

It is the end of an era in Indian cinema and theatre as Jnanpith winner and noted theatre personality, actor and playwright Girish Karnad passed away at his home in Bengaluru on Monday. He was 81. Karnad has written numerous plays in Kannada and is considered one of Kannada literature's foremost playwrights. Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy expressed his condolences over the veteran's demise, stating that the country has lost a "cultural ambassador." Deeply saddened to hear of the demise of Jnanpith laureate writer and iconic actor/film maker, Sri #GirishKarnad . His outstanding contribution to literature, theatre and films will always be remembered. In his death, we lost a cultural ambassador. May his soul rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/s5bfbh0VgE — H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) June 10, 2019 Leaders across political parties, authors as well as journalists took to Twitter to express their sorrow at Karnad's passing. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D Parameshwara, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Karnataka BJP President BS Yeddyurappa and historian Ramchandra Guha have mourned the loss. Deeply saddened by the demise one of our greatest playwrights & theatre artists, Shri #GirishKarnad. He was among the eight crown jewels of Kannada art & literature world to be conferred with Jnanpith Award. He & his works will be cherished for long. Om shanti. — Dr. G Parameshwara (@DrParameshwara) June 10, 2019 Saddened to hear the demise of veteran actor-playwright and jnanapeeta awardee Sri. Girish Karnad. My deepest condolences to @RKarnad and his family. pic.twitter.com/Sr53rnPSso — B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) June 10, 2019 Sad news coming in the morning about the passing away of veteran noted actor and playwright Girish Karnad. Girish ji's views and artistic contribution will be missed by the country. — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 10, 2019 Playwright, actor, institution-builder and patriot, Girish Karnad was a colossus. It was a privilege to have known him, a far greater privilege to have seen his plays and read his work. I wrote this tribute to him on his 80th birthday:https://t.co/uCY8gi0KGe — Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) June 10, 2019 Mr.Girish Karnad, His scripts both awe and inspire me. He has left behind many inspired fans who are writers. Their works perhaps will make his loss partly bearable. — Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) June 10, 2019 Author and politician Shashi Tharoor called Karnad's death a 'devastating loss' and expressed condolences to Karnad's family. This is a devastating loss. Just a few months ago he sent me the draft of his brilliant new historical play. He was at the peak of his creative talent. Profound condolences to his devoted wife Saras & brilliant son @rkarnad. A flame has been extinguished that lit up so many minds https://t.co/Z8dqtdSx4U — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 10, 2019 Several journalists and authors too expressed their sorrow, stating that Indian cinema and theatre will miss the legend. Shocked to know the demise of Legendary playwriter, actor & Director #GirishKarnad sir. Worked with him in #Mugamoodi & cherish the wonderful memory. Indian Cinema & Stage play will badly miss this legend. Rest in peace sir https://t.co/cc1DxBJCAh pic.twitter.com/oONhDRLfmR — Dr. Dhananjayan BOFTA (@Dhananjayang) June 10, 2019 We are deeply saddened by the demise of multifaceted personality, an acclaimed playwright, filmmaker and actor #GirishKarnad. His films are acknowledged for bringing ruralism, history and mythical pathos with contemporary themes. #RIP pic.twitter.com/puM6lieCUQ — NFAI (@NFAIOfficial) June 10, 2019 How terribly terribly sad. Master playwright, multi-lingual scholar, creator of a unique genre of historical plays like Tughlaq and Hayavadana and a constant beacon of free spirited liberal creativity, gone when India needed him. RIP #GirishKarnad https://t.co/0JUfhHlL91 — Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) June 10, 2019 Girish Karnad was conferred the Padma Shri in 1974 and in 1992, the Indian government awarded Karnad the Padma Bhushan, in recognition of his contributions to the arts. He was the recipient of the Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary prize, in 1999 for his contributions to literature and theatre. Girish Karnad wrote his first play, the critically acclaimed Yayati (1961), while still at Oxford. Centred on the story of a mythological king, the play established Karnad’s use of the themes of history and mythology. Karnad’s next play, Tughlaq (1964), tells the story of the 14th-century sultan Muḥammad-ibn-Tughluq and remains among the best known of his works. The multifaceted author and playwright also hosted a weekly science program on the Doordarshan titled Turning Point. Featuring Indian scientist Yash Pal, the award-winning show explained complex, modern scientific discoveries in simple language. Even as he aged, he continued to make public appearances at panel discussions and literature festivals to discuss his work. He is survived by his wife Saraswathi, son Raghu Karnad, a journalist and writer and daughter Radha, a doctor based in Kenya.

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Girish Karnad passes away, end of an era in Indian theatre and cinema

Death

Jnanpith Award winner and recipient of the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, Girish Karnad was one of the most noted playwrights in India.

TNM Staff

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Noted actor, writer and playwright Girish Karnad passed away on Monday. He was 81. He wrote his first play, the critically acclaimed Yayati (1961), while still at Oxford. Centred on the story of a mythological king, the play established Karnad’s use of the themes of history and mythology. Karnad’s next play, Tughlaq (1964), tells the story of the 14th-century sultan Muḥammad ibn Tughluq and remains among the best known of his works. Karnad has written numerous plays in Kannada and is considered one of Kannada literature's foremost playwrights. His most famous include Yayti in 1961, Hayavadana in 1972 and Nagamandala in 1988. Tughlaq, a play he wrote in 1964, made Karnad a name to reckon with among playwrights in the country. The thirteen-scene play is set during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq. He was the 34th recipient of the prestigious Jnanpith award for outstanding contribution to Indian literature, incidentally the seventh from the state. Apart from his iconic status as a playwright, he was accomplished in academics too. He was conferred Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the Government of India and won four Filmfare Awards, of which three are Filmfare Award for Best Director – Kannada and the fourth a Filmfare Best Screenplay Award. He served as director of the Film and Television Institute of India (1974–1975) and chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National Academy of the Performing Arts (1988–93). Karnad's acting and screenwriting debut came in 1970 in the Kannada film Samskara (1970), which is based on a novel by UR Ananthamurthy. The film won the first President's Golden Lotus Award for Kannada cinema. The multifaceted author and playwright also hosted a weekly science program on the Doordarshan titled Turning Point. Featuring Indian scientist Yash Pal, the award-winning show explained complex, modern scientific discoveries in simple language. Even as he aged, he continued to make public appearances at panel discussions and literature festivals to discuss his work. He was born in Maharashtra on May 19, 1938. He got his Bachelor's degree from the Karnataka University in 1958 and then proceeded on a fellowship to study at Oxford where he secured his M.A. degree in 1963. At Oxford, Karnad studied philosophy, politics, and economics. He is survived by his son Raghu Karnad, a journalist and writer.  

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36-year-old Bengaluru man found dead in water sump of his house

Crime

: Afroz’s wife Mehraz has alleged that his own family members were behind the death of her husband.

TNM Staff

A 36-year-old Bengaluru man was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the water sump of his house on Friday.  The victim has been identified as Afroz Khan who was working as a BPO professional and was living in Hegdenagar. Afroz’s wife Mehraz has alleged that his own family members were behind the death of her husband. “His family was torturing him since he was not going to work regularly and he was very upset. It is impossible that he jumped into the sump. I suspect foul play behind his death and action has to be taken,” she told The New Indian Express She also said that his brothers had tortured him for visiting her.  According to the police, Mehraz said that lately, Afroz had not been working regularly. She had moved out of their residence and started living with her mother after being married for nine years. Afroz, on the occasion of Eid, had visited Mehraz on Wednesday as he said he was not offered food by his family members. Afroz had then asked Mehraz to return to their house along with their one-and-half-year child. Soon, just two days later, Afroz’s brother Imran called Mehraz and told her that Afroz had gone missing and he could not be reached on his phone. Police suspect that Afroz took his own life as he was upset. While Mehraz has alleged the hand of his family members, they have alleged that Afroz killed himself as he was treated badly by his wife and in-laws. Afroz’s mother Khrushid Unnisa had lodged a missing person’s complaint with Sampigehalli police station on Thursday.   After discovering his body, they informed the police based on which an investigation has started. Police are probing all angles in the case

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Two men arrested for allegedly posting abusive video against CM HD Kumaraswamy

Crime

The abusive rant was reportedly because of the two’s disappointment with the party’s poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections.

TNM Staff

  Police in Bengaluru arrested two men for allegedly abusing Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and his family in a widely shared video on WhatsApp. The video was purportedly shot on the day of the Lok Sabha results. In the same video, the two men had also allegedly abused Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of the Chief Minister and also other members of the first family of the JD(S). The accused have been identified as Siddaraju, 26, and his friend Chamaraju, 28.They were working as a petrol pump attendant and cab driver respectively. High Grounds police have booked the duo under Sections 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505 (2) (intent to incite offence against community) of the Indian Penal Code. They have been remanded to judicial custody by a local court.  The abusive rant was reportedly because of the two’s disappointment with the party’s poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls. The JD(S) which is part of the ruling coalition in the state had only managed to win a single seat in Karnataka as did their alliance partner Congress. “When we tracked them down and questioned them, they said they were upset with the CM’s family politics and his party’s poor showing at the Lok Sabha elections,” a policeman told The Hindu. Police had started the probe after some JD(S) party workers filed a complaint regarding this. In August 2018, a 24-year-old Mangaluru man Prashant Poojary was arrested for an abusive post againstKumaraswamy on Instagram. In that case, the arrest was made by the Central Crime Branch based on a suo motu complaint.   In that case, the arrest was made by the Central Crime Branch based on a suo motu complaint.

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Karnataka CM unlikely to intervene in govt's land deal with Jindal Steel

Policy

Meanwhile, the BJP has threatened a state-wide protest over the sale of iron-ore rich land to the company at a throwaway price.

Soumya Chatterjee

Even with the BJP threatening a state-wide protest over the controversial Jindal Steel land deal, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy is unlikely to intervene in the government decision to hand over 3,667 acres of land with the iron ore to JS Steel Ltd in Ballari district after the expiry of lease period.  “Essentially, the issue has nothing to with the Chief Minister or his office. The deal was penned by the state industry department headed by the Industry Minister. Following this, there was a cabinet meeting in which it got clearance. All the specifics have been approved by the Industry Minister and the Chief Secretary,”  a source close to the CM told TNM.  “On Monday, Congress leader HK Patil may meet the Chief Minister and express his objections to the deal but the latter will not change anything as seemingly there is nothing illegal (in the deal). The Chief Secretary has already given his approval,” the source added.    What is the controversy?  The BJP and a certain section of activists are opposing the lease and sale of 3,700 acre land to JSW Steel at a throwaway price. Even senior Congress leader HK Patil, too, has spoken publicly against the deal, embarrassing the state Congress leadership. "They might have taken commission, that is why they want to sell the land. If necessary, we will sit on dharna after three to four days,” BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa said recently. Incidentally, BS Yeddyurappa himself was accused of accepting a bribe from Jindal during his chief ministership. He was acquitted in a CBI court in 2016. Meanwhile, the government, including the state’s Industry Minister, KJ George, has maintained that this deal is according to the MoU signed between the company and the government, according to a 2005 deal. The deal In 2006, the state government had allotted 2,000 acres of land to Jindal on a lease-and-sale agreement for six years at a rate of Rs 90,000 per acre, in addition to another 1,700 acres for 10 years at Rs 1.22 lakh per acre. Accordingly, these two land parcels were to be sanctioned for sale based on conditions of employment generation.  In the cabinet meeting on May 27, the government gave a nod to the sale deal, setting the price at Rs 1.22 lakh per acre for the first parcel of land and Rs 1.5 lakh per acre for the second parcel of land.  The opposition to this deal is on grounds that the market rate for the parcels of land in the area is currently Rs 1 crore per acre. Some others pointed out that the state’s industrial policy talks about selling a parcel of land permanently only after a lease period of 99 years and not 10 years as in this case.  To this, the government responded, stating that the same could not be followed as the deal predates 2014 when the policy framework came in place. In 2014, the state government extended the lease period given to industries through the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) from 30 years to 99 years. This was later scrapped in 2017, paving the way for absolute sale deed.      

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