Sun Apr 06 12:45:03 UTC 2025: **Shivamogga Writers Protest Suspension of Kannada Sahitya Parishat Official**
SHIVAMOGGA, INDIA (April 6, 2025) – Writers and activists in Shivamogga, Karnataka, rallied on Sunday against the suspension of D. Manjunath, president of the Shivamogga district unit of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat (KSP). The protest was sparked by a show-cause notice issued by KSP president Mahesh Joshi on March 28, alleging indiscipline on Manjunath’s part.
Joshi’s notice cited Manjunath’s sharing of proposed bylaws with outsiders and leaking a letter signed by district presidents to social media as grounds for suspension. However, those attending Sunday’s meeting, largely fellow KSP members, argued that Joshi lacked the authority to suspend an elected official and that the action violated the organization’s democratic principles.
Honnali Chandrashekhar, who convened the meeting, stated that the allegations against Manjunath did not warrant suspension and called Joshi’s actions unwarranted. He advocated for a larger meeting of writers in Bengaluru to address the issue. The meeting included prominent figures such as Socialist Puttaiah Peraduru, writer J.K. Ramesh, and others. The protesters emphasized the need to uphold democratic processes within the KSP.
First Piper 