Mysore/Mysuru: Stating that BJP MLC A.H. Vishwanath is a multi-faceted personality who has served the society as an MLA, a Minister, an MP, a Journalist, a critic, a writer, an advocate  etc., Bengaluru’s Karnataka Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) President Shivananda Tagadur said that Vishwanath is a veteran and matured politician who showed the Government the right way forward for allround growth.

He was speaking after inaugurating ‘Adagur H. Vishwanath at 75 Sambhrama,’ the  75th birthday celebration of the veteran politician,  organised by Mysuru District Journalists Association (MDJA) in association with District Kannada Sahitya Parishat at Rani Bahadur Auditorium on Hunsur Road here this morning.

Pointing out that Vishwanath is a creative person, Tagadur said that the MLC is such a type of person who would never forget anyone who becomes close to him.

“Vishwanath is not a calculative politician. He is a straightforward person who tells everything as it is. He has not spared even his fellow parytmen in criticising and correcting them, whenever he finds that they have erred or done something that harmed the society,” he said.

Citing an instance, Tagadur said that Vishwanath, as a Legislator when D. Devaraj Urs was the Chief Minister in the late 1970’s, saw a boy washing  his (Vishwanath) car that was parked in Vidhana Soudha premises. A couple of days later, Vishwanath out of curiosity, asked the boy who he was and why he was doing the car washing job. The boy said that he was the son of a former MLA and he was doing the job to earn some money, which moved Vishwanath so much that he immediately took up the matter with Urs.

“Following discussion with  Vishwanath and other senior Legislators and members of his Cabinet, the then CM Urs announced pension scheme for Karnataka Legislators for the first time. As such the Legislators of today should ever be indebted to Vishwanath for the pension benefits that they are getting now”, Tagadur said adding that perhaps Vishwanath is the only Legislator so far who went in a procession to the Congress Office to submit his resignation from the  party.

Observing that Vishwanath  very much deserved a Cabinet berth in the H.D. Kumaraswamy headed JD(S)-Congress coalition Government, Tagadur opined that the JD(S) top brass probably  kept him out of the Ministry as the party leaders believed that they cannot rule over him.

Referring to the much talked about Viswanath’s latest political  book ‘Bombay Days’ which is said to contain facts and the circumstances that catapulted the defection of Legislators from the Congress and JD(S) to the BJP in 2019, which ultimately led to the collapse of the coalition Government, Tagadur said that everyone, especially journalists, are  eagerly awaiting its release.

Speaking his mind on the occasion of his 75th birthday celebration, MLC A.H. Vishwanath recalled his journey from being an advocate in K.R. Nagar to becoming a Minister and MP.

Going back to his early days, Vishwanath recalled the circumstances that led to the fall of the then Veerendra Patil Government in 1970 due to student movement and unrest in University of Mysore, where he was studying then.

Maintaining that he has grown politically, intellectually and individually along with the media in the past 50 years of his public service, Vishwanath said that the media has grown by leaps and bounds over the years and he wants to know where it stands now, especially at a time when the world is facing turbulent times.

Recalling that Gundu Rao as the Chief Minister in the early 1980’s had said that Journalists should be thrown to the Arabian Sea, the MLC said that he learnt to conduct press meet and reply to questions posed by presspersons, from senior journalists of his time. Noting that tall leaders such as Devaraj Urs and B. Basavalingappa had thought him on how to connect with the people and keep in touch with the masses, Vishwanath said that he has never forgotten the lessons taught to him by his political mentors.

Stating that Nandan, a friend of his from Raichur had presented him an ambulance for personal use, Vishwanath said that  he in turn donated the ambulance to K.R. Nagar’s famed Bone healer Dr.  Mehaboob Khan.

Contending that he leant a lot from the media on how to speak in public platforms, Vishwanath announced that he would be donating Rs.75,000 to the ‘Suraksha Nidhi’ set up for the welfare of Journalists, marking his 75th birthday. He also declared that he would donate Rs.10 lakh  out of his Legislator’s fund, for the construction of MDJA’s new building to come up in city.

Earlier, senior journalist T. Gururaj delivered the keynote address.

MDJA President S.T. Ravikumar presided. Mysuru District Kannada Sahitya Parishat President Maddikere Gopal, MDJA Secretary M. Subramanya, senior Journalists Ravindra Reshme, D. Umapathi, B.M. Hanif, Hunasawadi Rajan, K. Shivakumar and a host of other personalities were present.