Chennanna Walikar’s poetry gave voice to the oppressed, say scholars

Noted rebel writer Chennanna Walikar’s poesy reflects a almighty literate absorption against societal injustice and inequality, and gives dependable to the anguish of the oppressed and marginalised, said Prof. H.T. Pote, dean of the Faculty of Arts and manager of the Institute of Kannada Studies astatine Gulbarga University.

He was speaking connected Saturday astatine the merchandise of Chigare Akrandana, a postulation of poems by Chennanna Walikar, held astatine the Harihara Auditorium of the Kannada Department successful Gulbarga University.

“Chennanna Walikar had a heavy interest for societal inequality and the suffering of Dalits, and dreamt of a nine wherever the oppressed received justness and equality. His rebel lit and poesy carried a beardown societal committedness and played a important relation successful shaping the absorption of the Dalit movement. His writings remained applicable for knowing societal realities. The authorities had established implicit 27 literate foundations crossed the State; determination was neglect successful mounting up akin institutions successful the Kalyana Karnataka region. The authorities should amusement involvement successful establishing the Chennanna Walikar Foundation successful Kalaburagi,” helium said.

Prof. Pote noted that Walikar’s writings sensitised nine to the symptom of the downtrodden and emphasised education, intellect and compassion arsenic tools for societal transformation. Referring to poets specified arsenic Siddalingaiah and Walikar, helium said their works played a relation successful drafting the government’s attraction to issues oppressed communities and women.

“Walikar believed that the opus of anticipation should echo successful each mediocre household, not conscionable among the privileged. Through poetry, songs and performances, Walikar organised radical crossed the State and waged a literate conflict against hunger, caste and people discrimination, and societal inequality, portion carrying guardant the visionary ideas of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar,” helium said.

Speaking connected the poesy collection, Prof. Vikram Visaji, Dean of the Faculty of Languages astatine the Central University, described Walikar arsenic a elemental and delicate writer who played a cardinal relation successful the Kannada literate question of the 1970s. “Walikar had nary craving for powerfulness and relied solely connected reading, writing, and singing to awaken society. He believed that existent poesy was that which could close society, betterment it, and connection extortion to the vulnerable. His beingness itself was poetry. His works basal arsenic grounds to the thought that the cries, pain, struggles, and mundane hardships of mean radical tin beryllium powerfully expressed done poetry. His poems and literate works invitation readers into deeper introspection and provoke thought,” helium said.

Writer Prabhakar Joshi, main guest, recalled his adjacent relation with Walikar and said heavy societal interest and empathy for the oppressed were evident passim his literate works.