Noted Kannada scholar, epigraphist and activist Chidananda Murthy passed away early on Saturday. He was 88.
He was ill for sometime and was being treated for age-related illness at a private hospital, where he breathed his last at around 3:30 a.m.
Murthy was known for his work on Kannada inscriptions. His work played a key role in deciding the antiquity of the Kannada, which helped get the language Classical Language status from the Union government in 2008. He was also a vocal Kannada activist, leading Kannada Shakti Kendra in 1970s and 1980s.
Later, he became a champion of the Hindu Right-Wing cause. He was one of the key articulators of the argument against Tipu Sultan. He had also launched a campaign to save the monuments of Hampi. Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa renamed Hyderabad Karnataka — a group of six districts formerly under the administration of Nizam of Hyderabad — as Kalyana Karnataka, as demanded by Murthy.
“He was a thinker, researcher and historian who always worked for the interest of Kannada. His place in history is unique and irreplaceable. His role in protecting the monuments of Hampi and in Kannada getting a classical language status is memorable,” Mr. Yediyurappa tweeted.
