M. Venkatakrishnayya

The Story

Born in 1878 in poverty, Venkatakrishnayya rose by his own efforts to become a teacher — an ideal teacher, as the account of his life records — and then a journalist. He was among the earliest and most senior pioneers of Kannada journalism, and his work in the press shaped the public life of the state.

He never knew the wealth of money, but his heart and his life were rich: he was called the grandfather, the ocean of compassion, the Bhishmacharya of the Kannada press by the society that honoured him. He worked for the language, the nation, and the truth all his life.

He died in 1955, honoured as the society's conscience. His life — the poor teacher and journalist who became the father figure of his profession — remains a model of integrity and service to the Kannada land.