The Karnataka state government information department and HR Bhargava and his team of award panel are responsible for the chaos in the selection of Doss, rejecting it later giving it Dr Girish Karnad and now what we hear is Dr Karnad expressed his inability to receive the honor of SR Puttanna Kanagal award.

Obviously Dr Karnad is irked with such last minute announcement. This situation is first in the 41 years of presentation of awards and from the inception of SR Puttanna Kanagal Award in 1986-87 this situation was not seen. In the past Hunsur Krishnamurthy, GV Iyer, BS Ranga, TN Balakrishna, YR Swamy, MR Vittal, Geethapriya, Siddalingaiah, KSL Swamee, Dorai Bhagwan, SV Rajendra Singh Babu, Girish Kasaravalli, TS Nagabharana, KV Jayaram, MS Rajasekhar, Vijaya Reddy, T Pattabhirama Reddy, V Ravichandran, Singeetham Srinivas Rao, Renuka Sharma received the award in the name of Puttanna Kanagal. The award money was also raised from Rs.1 lakh to Rs.2 lakhs.

For the media objections the hurried decision taken by Ramesh Jhalaki and Bhargava on the spot is the route cause for all the disrespect to SR Puttanna Kanagal award. Has the consultation with Dr Karnad is made and then announced it would have been a different factor. In the available time knowing the version of the recipient (because of this loophole, in other case there is no need to ask) some other decision the government and award committee chairman Bhargava could have arrived. The forethought is missing in this case.

Look at the situation what happened now. KSR Doss is at loss! Even he is not ready to accept in case the order is reversed from Karnad to Doss.

We have the examples of actors declining to receive the awards. Dr vishnuvardhana, S Narayan, Jaggesh and a few others frankly rejected the awards.

We give you the email reply sent across to 50 plus journalists by Dr Girish Karnad today afternoon.

Dear all,
I have thanked the Director, Kannada and Culture for awarding the Puttanna Kanagal Award to me and regretted my inability to accept the honour.

Warmest regards,

Girish Karnad
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Girish Karnad
697 Fifteenth Cross Road
J. P. Nagar Phase II
Bangalore 560 078
India
080 2659 0463