Poet receives Rashtrakavi Govinda Pai Memorial Award
Urban Development Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake on Saturday said that poet K.S. Nisar Ahmed’s contribution to Kannada literature was invaluable.
He was speaking after presenting the annual Rashtrakavi Govinda Pai Memorial Award to Prof. Ahmed at a function organised by the Rashtrakavi Govinda Pai Research Centre and other organisations. The award carries a citation and a cheque of Rs. 1 lakh.
Mr. Sorake said that it was fitting that Prof. Ahmed should get the Govinda Pai award. “Prof. Ahmed is a jewel of Kannada literature whom we all like and treasure,” he said.
In his acceptance speech, Prof. Ahmed said that poets such as the late D.V. Gundappa and the late Govinda Pai had a big influence on him. In addition to being a poet, Govinda Pai was a scholar who did a lot of research.
He added that he had a lot of memories associated with the MGM College here where he had participated in three poets’ meets in the 1970s on the invitation of the writer and the then principal of the college the late K.S. Haridasa Bhat.
Prof. Ahmed said that after the Malnad region in the State, it was the coastal belt that he liked the most. No other region in the State gave as much importance to literature as the coastal belt, he said.
Earlier, B.A. Viveka Rai, former Vice-Chancellor of Kannada University, Hampi, said that writers such as the late D.R. Bendre and the late Kuvempu liked Prof. Ahmed a lot. It was when Prof. Ahmed became the president of the Kannada Sahitya Academy that literary programmes were held for the first time at the hobli-level, he added.
Kota Srinivas Poojary, MLC; Kusuma Kamath, principal of MGM College, and H.P.R. Hande, Assistant General Manager of Karnataka Bank, were present.
(The Hindu)
