M A I N   N E W S

Veteran Kannada writer is no more
Tribune News Service & PTI

Bangalore, August 22
Jnanpith awardee and renowned Kannada writer UR Ananthamurthy, 82, died of multiple health complications here today. He had been hospitalised 10 days ago for infection and fever, and was critical.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condoled Murthy's death. The Karnataka Government has declared holiday tomorrow in all government institutions, including schools and colleges, and state mourning for three days.

He is survived by his wife Esther, a son and a daughter.

“He had a cardiac arrest. We tried to resuscitate but it was not successful. So we with great regret announce that he is no more with us,” said H Sudarshan Ballal, Medical Director and Chairman of the Manipal Hospital.

Ananthamurthy, who had been suffering from kidney related disease for some years and undergoing dialysis treatment with diabetes and heart problem, turned critical last night, he said.

“His condition got critical since last night and blood pressure also deteriorated. He was also facing breathing problem, so we had kept him under ventilator..,” Ballal said. Ananthamurthy’s wife and children were by his side when the end came, hospital sources said.

In his several decades of literary life, he has won the Padma Bhushan in 1998, Jnanpith award in 1994 and the state Rajyothsava award in 1984. His nomination for the 2013 Man Booker International Prize brought him to the attention of a Western audience. He was also the Vice-Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala during the late 1980s.

During the Lok Sabha elections, Ananthamurthy courted a controversy after he said he would not live in the country "if Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister". He was given security cover fearing backlash from BJP supporters.