Mangaluru: Shamsul Islam, former associate professor of political science at the University of Delhi, also a well-known researcher, author and people’s theatre activist, will deliver the BV Kakkilaya Inspired Oration-2023, titled ‘Joint Martyrdoms, Joint Heritage of 1857 War of Independence’, at Ravindra Kalabhavana, University College, at 10am on Saturday.
The hitherto unpublished names of 128 martyrs from Karnataka, who belonged to all castes, religions, sects and socio-economic strata, who laid down their lives during the 1857-58 anti-British revolts, compiled by Islam from the national archives, will be published, and tributes will be paid to martyrs.
The annual BV Kakkilaya Inspired Orations are being organised as a tribute to the life and work of BV Kakkilaya (1919-2012), a freedom fighter, leader of Karnataka unification movement, leader of Communist Party of India and All India Trade Union Congress, member of the first Rajya Sabha and Karnataka state assembly, award winning writer and thinker.
The oration is being organised by Hosatu Monthly, MS Krishnan Trust, Bengaluru and Samadarshi Vedike, Mangaluru, and the department of history, University College. A Kannada translation of Dr Shamsul Islam’s book The ‘Untold Amazing Stories of 1857’, titled ‘Bharatada Modala Swatantrya Sangrama 1857- Helade Ulida Adbhuta Kathegalu’ by BR Manjunath will be released on the occasion by Dr Jayaraj Amin, vice-chancellor, Mangalore University. TNN