Hubballi: The state government has abruptly withdrawn Koppal-based puppetry artiste Keshappa Shillikyatar’s name from the list of Rajyotsava award winners. The government had listed Shillikyatar’s name among the recipients before he learnt that it had been removed on Friday night.
Shillikyatar admitted to feeling betrayed by the sudden reversal. “It’s a big insult not just to me, but to the art form I practise as well. I was not even officially informed about my name being dropped from the list of awardees. My two sons had even hired a car so I could go to Bengaluru to receive the award. Just as we were to start from our village – Moranal – on Friday night, we learnt that the award to me had been withdrawn,” Shiilikyatar told STOI.
S Rangappa, director of the department of Kannada and culture, which had nominated Shillikyatar for the award, attributed the confusion to the lack of clarity among the members of the selection committee over the artiste’s age. “While Shillikyatar’s year of birth, according to his passport, is 1972, it is 1974 on his Aadhaar card. The norms stipulate that Rajyotsava awardees, with the exception of athletes and international recipients, must have attained the age of at least 60 to qualify for the honour,” said Rangappa, adding that the department had chosen theatre artiste G Vandana in lieu of Shillikyatar so as to ensure consistency in the number of awardees from Koppal.
The puppetry artiste, however, was not appeased. Refusing to accept the explanation cited by the officials, Shillikyatar hinted at a conspiracy hatched by officials in the Kannada and culture department in Koppal district. “I have conducted many shows abroad as well. How can members of the selection committee overlook my age and nominate me for the award? I am now feeling too embarrassed to even step out in my village and Koppal. But this will not discourage me. I will continue to focus on my art,” said the artiste, adding that the age mentioned on his Aadhaar card was wrong. “I am 58 years old now,” Shillikyatar added.
Incidentally, Shillikyatar inherited his passion and talent for puppetry from his mother Bheemavva, an acclaimed exponent of the craft herself. She had been conferred the Rajyotsava award in 2014. “I was happy when I learnt that my son was to receive the award, only six years after I was honoured with it. But we are very disappointed now,” Bheemavva said.
Language is like our mother, says CM
Meanwhile, chief minister BS Yediyurappa, congratulating all winners for their contribution to state, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to Kannada and Karnataka. “The language is like a mother to all of us, as is our land. We are making efforts to popularise Kannada by leveraging technology,” said the CM, adding that the selection of the 65 recipients for the Rajyotsava honour had been done in a transparent manner.