Kannada poet, activist Chandrashekar Patil passes away at 83

Kannada litterateur, activist Chandrashekar Patil died on Monday in a private hospital. The 83-year-old was suffering from age-related ailments.

Popularly known as Champa, Patil was a well-known poet and one among the foremost voices of the Bandaya movement (Progressive, rebel literary movement). He was the editor of the influential literary journal 'Sankramana' and is known for leading many social and literary movements such as the Gokak agitation, the Bandaya movement, the anti-Emergency movement, agitation for the implementation of Mandal report and the farmer's movement. Champa also protested the assassination of renowned scholar Professor MM Kalburgi and returned his Pampa Award, the highest literary honour of the government of Karnataka.

Champa was a professor of English at Karnatak University in Dharwad. After retirement, he served as the President of Kannada Sahitya Parishat and as the Chairman of the Kannada Development Authority.

Patil is survived by his wife and two children.