Mangaluru: When Tulu speakers wrote works in Kannada, the essence of Tulu was deeply embedded within. All of the works by late writer Lalitha Rai contained the true essence and intellectual stance of Tulu, said Prof Vivek Rai, former vice-chancellor of Hampi Kannada University.He spoke at a tribute and homage event organised by the Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy for senior writer Lalitha Rai and Bhagavatha Dinesh Ammannaya on Saturday. Lalitha Rai’s novels and short stories contained elements of intellectualism. Even though she wrote her works much later, they held significant value. Writing novels and short stories with intellectual depth in Tulu is not an easy task, but Lalitha Rai excelled in this regard, Rai said.The works of these two achievers should be published by the Tulu Academy. Lalitha Rai’s works, written in Kannada, should be translated into Tulu. Dinesh Ammannaya’s immense contribution to the love, pride, and development of the Tulu language through Yakshagana should be documented in the form of a book, he said.Yakshagana scholar Prabhakar Joshi said that Lalitha Rai not only translated her influential thoughts into writing in her novels and short stories but also lived by them. Similarly, Bhagavatha Dinesh Ammannaya harmonised musical emotions with literary emotions, carving a niche for himself in the world of Yakshagana, he said.Senior writer BM Rohini said that Lalitha Rai’s contributions were not limited to the literary field. She also engaged in significant social services, offering generous donations for the education of underprivileged children and support for the sick, among many other causes, said Rohini.The tribute event was conducted by Academy chairman Tharanath Gatti Kapikad.
