National award-winning actor Sanchari Vijay, 37, no more

coastaldigest.com news network

June 15, 2021

Bengauru, June 15: National award-winning actor Sanchari Vijay passed away at 3:34 am on Tuesday morning, news agencies reported quoting a statement from Apollo Hospital.

Vijay, known for his performances in Nathicharami and Nanu Avanalla Avalu was admitted to Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru on Sunday after meeting with a road accident while heading home.

On Monday, doctors had declared him brain dead and his family members had agreed to donate his organs.

Vijay Kumar Basavarajaiah, known by his stage name Sanchari Vijay, was known for his work in Kannada cinema. He also appeared in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films, after beginning his career as a stage actor. He trained on stage from Sanchari Theatre, a culture centre with its own drama troupe, based in Bengaluru.

Vijay hailed from Chikmagalur. His father Basavarajaiah was an actor and his mother Gowramma, a folk singer. As a child, Vijay played minor roles on stage. In a 2017 interview, he recalled, "I had never imagined that I will end up being an actor. Yes, I did have some qualities like enacting my favourite roles after watching a film or a drama, but all of this was in the past, as later, I started getting serious about education. In fact, even while studying, my friends would notice my acting skills."

After graduating with a bachelor of engineering degree, Vijay worked as a lecturer in a college before moving to Bangaluru and taking up stage acting professionally.

Vijay made his debut in films with the 2011 Kannada film Rangappa Hogbitna. It was followed by a minor role in Rama Rama Raghu Rama, before he received recognition for his performance in Dasavala. He was later cast in Oggarane (2014) and as lead actor subsequently in Harivu.

In Naanu Avanalla...Avalu, his portrayal of a transgender person won him the Best Actor Award at the 62nd National Film Awards. With the award win, Vijay became the third actor after M. V. Vasudeva Rao and Charuhasan to win the National Award for Best Actor for performing in a Kannada film. At the same awards, Harivu won the award for Best Feature Film in Kannada.

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Campus politics: DKS pushes to restore student elections in Karnataka banned since 1989

News Network

November 26,2025

Bengaluru, Nov 26: Karnataka is taking its first concrete steps towards lifting a three-decade-old ban on student elections in colleges and universities. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced Wednesday that the state government will form a small committee to study the reintroduction of campus polls, a practice halted in 1989 following incidents of violence.

Speaking at a 'Constitution Day' event organised by the Karnataka Congress, Mr. Shivakumar underscored the move's aim: nurturing new political leadership from the grassroots.

"Recently, (Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi wrote a letter to me and Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) asking us to think about restarting student elections," Shivakumar stated. "I'm announcing today that we'll form a small committee and seek a report on this."

Student elections were banned in Karnataka in 1989, largely due to concerns over violence and the infiltration of political party affiliates into campus life. The ban effectively extinguished vibrant student bodies and the pipeline of young leaders they often produced.

Mr. Shivakumar, who also serves as the Karnataka Congress president, said that former student leaders will be consulted to "study the pros and cons" of the re-introduction.

Acknowledging the history of the ban, he added, "There were many criminal activities taking place back then. We’ll see how we can conduct (student) elections by regulating such criminal activities."

The Deputy CM reminisced about his own journey, which began on campus. He recalled his political activism at Sri Jagadguru Renukacharya College leading to his first Assembly ticket in 1985 at the age of 23. "That's how student leadership was at the time. Such leadership has gone today. College elections have stopped," he lamented, adding that for many, college elections were "like a big movement" where leaders were forged.

The move, driven by the Congress high command's push to cultivate young talent, will face scrutiny from academics and university authorities who have, in the past, expressed concern that the return of polls could disrupt the peaceful academic environment and turn campuses into political battlegrounds.

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