Lalitha Naik 'aptly' rewarded for literary contributions

Writer and activist turned politician BT Lalitha Naik was rewarded for her contributions in Kannada literature as she was named among the 69 Karnataka Rajyotsava awardees on Wednesday. Bor n into a Lambani family into a tanda in Kadur taluk of Chikkamagaluru dis trict prepartition, she achieved the heights of ministerial power in the State Cabinet in the mid-90s under then Chief Minister JH Patel. However, her professional career started off in broadcast media in the 60s after her marriage when she wrote radio plays for the state-owned Akashvani station. Encouraged by the positive response, she began writing poems, short stories and eventually penned a novella. She is the writer of 16 books, including prominent ones like Gati (Fate) Ide Koogu Matte Matte (The Same Cry Over and Over), which is an anthology of poems.

She won the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award in 1991. She also wrote dialogues for movies as well. Lalitha’s progressive writings earned her contributions in noted Kannada dailies like Prajavani and she was one of the earliest writers for Lankesh Patrike when it was first launched in 1980 by P Lankesh, slain journalist Gauri Lankesh’s father. Her attention in the 70s was taken up by progressive Kannada language activism, mainly the “Bandaya” or the rebel writer’s movement. In the 80s, she joined the Gokak movement, which successfully demanded that Kannada be granted the first language status.