Push for Bharat Ratna for Kuvempu puts focus on his value system

Shivamogga

The Congress government’s recent move to recommend to the Union government to confer the Bharat Ratna posthumously on Kuvempu, a towering personality of Kannada literature, puts the focus not just on his works but also his emphasis on rationality and human values.

State song and more

No other writer of the 20th century influenced Kannada minds as he did and no student in Karnataka in the last seven or eight decades finished his schooling without reading his writings. The poem he wrote in 1928, Jai Bharata Jananiya Tanujate, when he was hardly 24, became the State song in 2004. Kuvempu was the first writer from Kannada to receive the Jnanpith Award (1967) for his epic poem Sri Ramayana Darshanam.

S. Bangarappa, during his time as Chief Minister in 1992, honoured Kuvempu with the Karnataka Ratna award. He was the first to receive the honour along with matinee idol Dr. Rajkumar.

During his lifetime, a university established in Shivamogga was named after Kuvempu. Many cities in the State have localities named after him. In 2023, the BJP government decided to name the newly-built airport in Shivamogga after him.

The Karnataka government has built a memorial for him at his birthplace Kuppali, in Tirthahalli taluk, which is visited by thousands of schoolchildren, besides tourists.

Scientific temper

Importantly, through his writings and speeches, Kuvempu propagated rationality and scientific temperament. His speech titled Vicharakrantige Ahvana – an invitation to revolutionary thinking – delivered at the annual convocation of Bengaluru University (1974), is one of his widely read essays. In the speech, he stresses the importance of rational thinking and scientific temperament and highlights the need for dismantling the caste system.

Kuvempu’s another significant contribution to “Literature of Thought” is his Vishwamanava Sandesha – Message of Universal Human. His message promotes universal brotherhood, relieving human beings from all constraints of caste, gender, religion, and nationality.

Not only his writings, but his actions have also left an indelible impression on the Kannada psyche. For instance, to propagate simple marriages without rituals, he came up with the concept of Mantra Mangalya.

In colleges

During the Congress’ previous tenure (2013-18), Kuvempu Bhashabharathi Pradhikara, an authority meant for translation works, brought out a book, Kuvempu Odu, a collection of select writings of Kuvempu. The authority conducted workshops in degree colleges on Kuvempu’s writings across the State.

Through the event, the students were encouraged to understand the importance of rationality, scientific temperament, and counter caste-based inequality, among others.

Now, again, the authority is conducting similar programmes in colleges. Many in the Congress consider the writings of Kuvempu as a tool to counter the agenda of the BJP.