Dharwad: Indian scholar and academic, who served as the Vice-Chancellor of Kannada University in Hampi, Dr M M Kalburgi died in a gun fire at his residence at Kalyan Nagar here, on August 30.
According to sources, on August 30 at around 8.40 am, some miscreants barged into his house at Kalyan Nagar and fired at Dr M M Kalburgi. In the firing, Kalburgi was injured severely. He was rushed to the hospital but failed to respond to treatment and breathed his last.
Dr M M Kalburgi completed his M.A. in Kannada from the Karnataka University Dharwad in 1962. In 1966, he was promoted to Professor in the Kannada Department of the Karnatak University. In 1982, he became the Chairperson of the Kannada Department. Later, he became Vice-Chancellor of the Kannada University, Hampi and retired from service.
He is a noted Kannada epigraphist and a renowned scholar of the Vachana literature. However, his scholarship on the Vachanas has come under acute criticism in the 21st century. Kalaburgi has written over 20 publications and has also won prestigious awards like Karnataka State Sahitya Akademi Award, Kendra (Central) Sahitya Akademi Award, Janapad Award, Yakshagana Award, Pampa Award, Nrupatunga Award and Ranna Award