Dharwad (Karnataka): Sending shock waves across Karnataka, gunmen shot dead eminent Kannada scholar and rationalist leader M M Kalburgi at his residence in Dharwad, about 450 km from Bengaluru, on Sunday.
Police suspect the involvement of right-wing extremists as the modus operandi appeared to be similar to that used in the murders of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar in Pune two years ago and CPI leader Govind Pansare in Kolhapur in February 2014. In all three cases, bike-borne gunmen killed their victims.
Kalburgi's research and writing on the Veerashaiva movement and philosophy, and his rationalist critique of obscurantist beliefs have frequently angered right-wingers. The outspoken writer's security cover was withdrawn only a few months ago. A former vice-chancellor of Kannada University in Hampi, the 77-year-old scholar was speaking on his phone when an unidentified person knocked on the door of his house. Kalburgi opened the door, only to be shot pointblank in the forehead with a.32 revolver. We heard what appeared to be two gunshots and rushed to the verandah to see my father lying in a pool of blood. We raised an alarm. Neighbours shifted him to hospital,” said Roopadarshi, his daughter. He was taken to a private nursing home and from there to the district civil hospital, where he was declared brought dead.
Kalburgi is survived by his wife, a son and three daughters. The elderly couple lived in Dharwad with a grandson. A son and daughter live in Bengaluru, while another daughter stays in Vijayapura. Roopadarshi, a US resident, was visiting her parents and son, a student in a Hubballi engineering college. Police suspect the hand of Hindu extremists, given Kalburgi's writings had questioned idol worship and superstition.
Roopadarshi told media there was no discord in the family and Kalburgi had no personal enemies. She said the killing could be the handiwork of someone angered by his writings. Hubballi-Dharwad police commissioner Ravindra Prasad said a special team had been formed to crack the murder at the earliest.
