Science, environment, and literature are his passion. Afshan Yasmeen listens to him.
NATURE IS his inspiration. Biodiversity, flora, fauna, and tribal people cast a spell on him. A man of varied interests, he has authored several books on forest-related issues and wildlife conservation and scripted documentaries for noted wildlife photographers. K. Puttaswamy has been making waves in his own quiet way — as a writer who blends ecology with literature.
From being the Head of the Department of History of Sciences at the Kannada University in Hampi, he is now a communicator: he interacts with the media on a day-to-day basis as Public Relations Officer for the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP). He is an Assistant Director with the Department of Information and Publicity.Mr. Puttaswamy joined the Information Department in 1985 as an Information Assistant after a short stint in Kannada journalism. He worked with the Department of Forests, Ecology and Environment as a Scientific Officer and was then deputed to the Department of Backward Classes in the Devaraj Urs Research Institute and the Department of Youth Services and Sports till 2001.
He then joined the Kannada University, Hampi, as the head of the Department of History of Sciences. “The Department was created specifically to record Karnataka’s indigenous science practices (from pottery to ayurveda). Owing to lack of resource persons, we could only document the history of sciences, Karnataka’s environment and ecological hotspots”, he says.
Puttaswamy used to pen poems as a student but later realised that “kathe” and “kavana” (fiction and poetry) were not for him. In 1976, as a student at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), GKVK in Bangalore, he became an active Socialist. “It was the turning point of my life.” He is now doing his Doctorate in Literature on “An Ecological Study in Kuvempu’s Literature”. Apart from authoring several books on science in nature such as Bangalooru, and Jeeva Jala, he has also translated the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin. “My English teacher, Akumal Ramachander, encouraged me to translate it. In fact, he introduced me to the world of literature and encouraged me to translate works of science into Kannada”, he explains.
His other translations include the Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Facts and Figures by Susan Bosanco, Charles Darwin by Anna Sproul, Alexander Fleming by Beverly Birch, and Nature’s Masterpiece — the Elephant by Ajay A. Desai. His translation of Iyaruingam by Birendra Kumara Bhattacharya is Janatheya Rajya. Jeeva Jaala won the Karnataka Sahitya Academy award in 1999 under the best science book category. Puttaswamy won the Karnataka State Environment Award in 2000.
Puttaswamy has also scripted many video documentary films directed by Krupakar and Senani, all dealing with forest-related issues, conservation of wildlife, and creating environmental awareness.These include “Tiger Lion Safari of Tyavarekoppa”, “Neeru Hakkigala Swarga”, “Hasarina Siri”, “Karnataka Pakshiloka”, “Karnataka Praniloka”, “Kalarava”, “A Journey through Moyar”, and “Hariva Nadige Ankusha”.
“Though several science writers, including paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould, inspire me, I want to translate Fruitjoy Capra’s Tao of Physicsand Eric Fromm’s Anatomy of Human Destructiveness into Kannada . But my dream is to prepare a reader (an abridged version) of Charles Darwin’s works by 2007,” he says.
By Afshan Yasmeen in Bangalore
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu Online / Home> Life Bangalore / Sunday – November 09th, 2003