CM Siddaramaiah, Basavraj Bommai express grief on demise of veteran writer Na D’Souza

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramiah expressed his grief on the demise of veteran writer Na D’Souza. In a post on X the CM wrote, “I am saddened by the passing away of the country’s senior litterateur, Na D’Souza. Na D’Souza, who was involved in the fight for environmental protection along with literary cultivation, is a writer of popular concern. I share in the grief of Na D’Souza’s family and fans”.

ನಾಡಿನ ಹಿರಿಯ ಸಾಹಿತಿ ನಾ.ಡಿಸೋಜಾ ಅವರ ನಿಧನದಿಂದ ದುಃಖಿತನಾಗಿದ್ದೇನೆ.

ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಕೃಷಿಯ ಜೊತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪರಿಸರ ರಕ್ಷಣೆಯ ಹೋರಾಟದಲ್ಲಿ ತಮ್ಮನ್ನು ತೊಡಗಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದ ನಾ.ಡಿಸೋಜಾ ಅವರು ಜನಪರ ಕಾಳಜಿಯ ಲೇಖಕ.

ನಾ.ಡಿಸೋಜಾ ಅವರ ಕುಟುಂಬ ಮತ್ತು ಅಭಿಮಾನಿಗಳ ದು:ಖದಲ್ಲಿ ನಾನೂ ಭಾಗಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದೇನೆ. pic.twitter.com/645S6iV6gC

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) January 5, 2025

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai also paid tributes to the veteran writer. Taking to social media X, Bommai wrote in a post “I was deeply saddened to hear the news of the demise of veteran writer Na D’Souza, who was a recipient of the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award”.

Further, he wrote that the writer had made his mark in the Kannada literary world. “He had made his own mark in the Kannada literary world and was elected as the president of the 80th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in Madikeri, serving Kannada,” the post further read.

ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಅಕಾಡೆಮಿ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ಪುರಸ್ಮೃತರಾಗಿದ್ದ ಹಿರಿಯ ಸಾಹಿತಿ ನಾ. ಡಿಸೋಜಾ ಅವರ ನಿಧನದ ಸುದ್ದಿ ಕೇಳಿ ಮನಸ್ಸಿಗೆ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ದುಃಖವಾಯಿತು.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಲೋಕದಲ್ಲಿ ತಮ್ಮದೇ ಆದ ಛಾಪು ಮೂಡಿಸಿದ್ದ ಅವರು ಮಡಿಕೇರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ 80 ನೇ ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಸಮ್ಮೇಳನದ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷರಾಗಿ ಆಯ್ಕೆ ಆಗಿದ್ದು, ಕನ್ನಡದ ಸೇವೆ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದರು.

ಅವರ… pic.twitter.com/NnpbfbwkGn

— Basavaraj S Bommai (@BSBommai) January 5, 2025

Bommai also said that the Kannada Saraswat world had become poorer with the death of D’Souza. “The Kannada Saraswat world has become poorer due to his passing. I pray that God will give his family and fans the strength to bear the grief of his passing, and grant eternal peace to his soul. Om Shanti”, the post further read.

The writer passed away at the age of 87 in Mangaluru. D’Souza was a prolific literary figure whose work explored the themes of social justice, human relationships and existential dilemmas. He also made contributions to the Kannada cinema where his literary works were adapted into critically acclaimed films.

The writer, a Sahitya Akademi laureate, had also served as the president of the 80th Kannada Sahitya Sammalena which was held in Madikeri. The writer’s works include 40 novels, short stories and children’s literature, making a total of 94 published books. Some of his notable work include ‘Kadina Benki’, ‘Dweepa’, ‘Baluvali’, ‘Antharya’ and ‘Bettada Puradaditta Makkalu’. The writer’s contributions to literature have left an inedible mark on the Kannada literature. (ANI)