Javaregowda

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Javaregowda
Pampa Prashasti

Devegowda Javaregowda (6 July 1915 – 30 May 2016), known as De Ja Gou or simply Javaregowda, was an Indian

Pampa Prashasti (1998), Padma Shri (2001) and the Karnataka Ratna (2008) awards for his contributions in literature and education. He became a centenarian
in 2015 and died on 30 May 2016.

Early life

Gowda was born in a Vokkaliga family [1] on 6 July 1915 in the village called Chakkere in the Channapatna taluk of Ramanagara district in Karnataka state.[1] He was born in a poor family and had three siblings. As his parents could not afford to educate all, only his eldest brother went to school and Gowda would graze goats. Having passion for education, Gowda would let go goats on their own and instead come and listen to teachers from outside near a school window. He recollects that on one such day when the goats entered a wealthy landlord's farm and destroyed the crop, his father beat him and the school principal then rescued him and admitted him in third standard, also providing him with uniform and books.[3]

Education, career and activities

Gowda later went on to study in

Vidhan Soudha at Bangalore. He concurrently studied law but did not pursue it as career when he got post of Kannada lecturer at the Central College, Bangalore. After three years, he went on to teach at Maharaja's College, Mysore. Here, he again was associated with Kuvempu and later credited him for his "academic and spiritual enrichment".[3]

Gowda served as the

Mysore University from 1969 to 1975 for consecutive two terms. In his tenure as VC he started various post graduates courses in Home Sciences, Criminology, Law and Journalism at the university. He was known for his sharp criticism of the then government policies. While reappointing him as the VC for the second term, the then state governor Mohan Lal Sukhadia requested "please try to remember that when you criticize the government, do so mildly".[3] He also wished to start an Afro-Dravidian Institute of post graduate studies called "The Kuvempu Vidyavardhaka Trust", which did not happen because of inadequate government funding.[3]

Gowda actively campaigned for promotion of Kannada language. Various encyclopaedias were published in Kannada after his efforts. Kannada was also used in examinations conducted by

Basaveshwara and more. He also wrote books for children on Albert Einstein, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, Marie Curie and more. He published various books on Kuvempu and Soundarya Yogi Kuvempu narrates Gowda's experiences with Kuvempu.[3] In 1970 he chaired the Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana which was held at Bangalore.[1]

On 31 January 2006, the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Gowda observed a dawn-to-dusk fast seeking classical language status for Kannada. Earlier he had fasted once before for same cause and also threatened to return his Padma Shri that was conferred on him in 2001. Eventually he did not return the award as he was hopeful of a favourable reply from the then President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.[2] In 2014, ex-minister P. G. R. Sindhia requested government to confer upon him the title of poet laureate (Rashtrakavi) for his contributions to the Kannada language.[4]

In October 2015, Gowda and five others returned the Aralu Sahitya prize, awarded to them by the Kannada Sahitya Parishat and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation in 2011, to protest the perceived delays into the investigation of writer M. M. Kalburgi's death.[5][6]

Personal life and death

Gowda was married to Savithramma. Their son J. Shashidhar Prasad was also Vice Chancellor of University of Mysore.

M. Veerappa Moily paid tributes to him.[9]

Awards and accolades

Gowda received his first doctorate in 1975 from the

Hampi University.[3] On his centenary, a 30-minutes documentary was made by director Kesari Harvoo for the Department of Kannada and Culture.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "De. Ja. Gow. turns 100". The Hindu. 7 July 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Javare Gowda goes on dawn-to-dusk fast". The Hindu. 30 May 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2006.
  3. ^
    ISBN 9789384318789
    .
  4. ^ "Confer Rashtrakavi on De Javare Gowda: Ex-minister". The Times of India. 8 June 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  5. ^ "Six Kannada Writers Return Awards Over Kalaburgi Probe Delay". The Indian Express. 4 October 2015. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  6. ^ "Six writers to return award to Sahitya Parishat". The Hindu. 3 October 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  7. ^ "Javare Gowda fasts for son Shashidhar Prasad's cause". The Hindu. 26 August 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  8. ^ "Javare Gowda passes away". The Hindu. 30 May 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  9. ^ "Kannada writer Javare Gowda laid to rest". The Hindu. 1 June 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  10. ^ Javare Gowda chosen for Pampa award Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ "Awards for Amjad Ali Khan, Ashoke Sen". The Hindu. 27 January 2001. Retrieved 30 May 2016.[dead link]
  12. ^ "Gorur Award presented to D. Javare Gowda". The Hindu. 15 September 2003. Retrieved 30 May 2016.[dead link]
  13. ^ "Karnataka Ratna Award for Javare Gowda, Veerendra Heggade". The Hindu. 16 January 2010. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
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