It is rather ironic that those Kannadigas who often wake up only once a year to assert their Kannada identity are called ‘November Kannadigas’. Because, in the history of Karnataka, the month November stands for the time when Karnataka came together as it stands today. While unification of India was carried out by Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, the process of Karnataka coming together was a result of many literary and political stalwarts working across the length and breadth of the state and ensuring the crores of people with different dialects and language variants came together as Kannadigas. That way, the term ‘November Kannadiga’ shouldn’t be as mean as it sounds, but then that debate is for another day.
Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel; Image Source: India .com
Some people even call this a ‘nationalist movement’ of Karnataka in keeping with the perspective of this time being responsible for the awakening of ‘Kannada spirit’. Scholar and Professor of history, Dr Puttaraju in one of his research papers says the time of unification dated around November 1, 1956 had witnessed a long preparation of sorts for the minds and cultures of the land to stay in solidarity with each other. The coastal region called Karavali, the mountainous region Malenadu which is also home to the biodiversity-rich Western Ghats, and the tropical climate/arid land of Deccan Plateau or the Bayaluseeme – all these elements came together to form a single identity called Karnataka, a name that would indicate the flora and fauna of each place that it resonated of.
Madikeri; Image Source: Thrillophilia
History (and mythology) will tell you this land which is culturally rich was also home to Adi Shankara, who established Sringeri mutt here. Madhwacharya who proposed Madhwa philosophy and Basavanna, a social reformer who dreamt of equal society in 12th century and thus started Lingayata dharma. The land that held together all this and even more local legends and identities wasn’t too easy to come by. The demand for the state of Karnataka had started even during the times of British when the administrative offices in the region later earmarked as Karnataka had amounted to a whopping 20! There were the princely states of Mysore, patronized by the Wadiyars; Nizam’s Hyderabad Karnataka region, Bombay Presidency, Madras Presidency and the hilly Kodagu held together many bits and pieces of Kannada identity that came in different languages.
Adi Shankara; Image Source: Free Press Journal
Scholars on different occasions have noted that the unification of Karnataka that came to be in the later half of the 20th century, the ground work for this had begun at least half a decade before the actual process was set off. First body to come together for this effort was Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha in Dharwad in 1890 established by R H Deshpande. Stalwarts such as H V Kakhandaki often reminisce the memories left behind by their earlier generations towards the ‘asmite’ of Kannada. Asmite is a word that indicates emotions beyond mere identity. It is the ‘being’ of a ‘Kannadatana’ or ‘Kannada-ness’.
A Kannada Sabha was set up in 1916 but was later named as Kannada Ekikarana Sangha in 1936. With the formation of Kannada Sahitya Parishat, in Bengaluru in 1915, the activities got the most needed impetus.
This was also the time when the literary genres were going through a shift. Senior journalist M Muralidhara who has written several articles around the topic through the lens of his interviews with stalwarts, says the Karnataka that was to come into being later, was never an undisputed territory or a linear identity. Which is why, the debates and discussions between the legends such as Na Su Hardikar, and Ranganath Diwakar had led to something as concrete as getting concurrence of 36,000 people from across the regions which were to come together later, with a demand to be brought under the same name, state and language identity called ‘Kannada’. Literature and art forms resonated this demand.
Eventually when India became free from the clutches of the British rule, the rule of Maharajas of Mysore came to an end and the state was acceded into Indian union. On November 25, 1949 rulers of Mysore released a proclamation to dissolve the representative assembly and legislative council within a period of 30 days. The first assembly of new Indian constitution was formed in 1952. It had 99 elected members and one nominated member. Even before this, the wadiyars had spearheaded something close to a democratic government by way of a functioning representative assembly.
Mysuru Palace; Image Source: Mass Mega Media
When the first independent assembly under Indian constitution was formed in 1952, and the states were given their share of cities and towns, unification of Karnataka took a violent turn. Bellary was acceded to Karnataka from Madras state.
The meeting called to discuss the unification process was chaotic to say the least. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee held its first meeting in Hubli on April 19, 1953. The venue, the townhall was brimming with people. A 25,000 strong crowd had come together, and it was almost impossible for Congress members to even join the meeting. The members were heckled and gheraoed. A vehicle was burnt and then there was a lathicharge. Things quickly went out of control, opposing the acceding of regions that would be brought under the new state.
In a nutshell, the efforts by writers, activists and politicians continued towards the consolidation Karnataka. Resistance followed and then eventually died down to some extent. Karnataka was officially born on November 1, 1956 with linguistic reorganization with four districts from Bombay state, three from Hyderabad region, some parts of Old Madras state, Coorg and the state of Mysore.
Devaraj Urs; Image Source: The Hindu
The state got its name much later under the chief ministership of Devaraj Urs. The man who is counted as the finest example of a seasoned and visionary politician, Urs will be remembered for his unrelenting efforts towards bringing the state together politically too. Being the chief minister, he did his best towards giving maginficent administration and having the state christened as Karnataka in 1973.
Huilgol Narayana Rao; Image Source: Wikipedia
The embodiment of Karnataka as a spirit was beautifull captured by a song written by Huilagol Narayana Rao much before the state even came together. “Udayavagali namma cheluva Kannada naadu” A poem that lit thousand a lamps and gave numerous visions of what a state would be, when it came together. This was ably sung by Hindustani exponent Gangubai Hanagal as a child. The lines still hold forth the vision, the light of which shows the way to Karnataka – a force to reckon with. A land of progressive thinkers and highest number Jnanpith awardees across Indian languages.
About the author: Preethi Nagaraj
Preethi Nagaraj is a journalist with experience in both print and electronic media. She has been engaged with journalism and related fields for the last two decades. A native of Davanagere in Karnataka, she has worked with The New Indian Express, CNBC-TV18, Intel India Pvt Ltd and Deccan Herald. She holds an MA in Journalism and Mass Communication, and an MSc in Psychology. A theatre buff and a keen political analyst, she has written for the Hindustan Times, The News Minute, and Scroll. She is a bi-lingual writer/journalist and is a columnist with Prajavani, the highest circulated Kannada daily. Her collection of column writings ‘Mirchi Mandakki’ was published by Prajavani Publications.
Her first book on third-generation theatre person B Jayashree, who was also a Rajyasabha MP, was recently selected for the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Book Prize. B Jayashree is a fiery singer, theatre doyen and an NSD graduate who is the theatre contemporary of India’s fine actors Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri. The book chronicles the journey of B Jayashree through her own life, and through that, the journey of Kannada and Indian theatre.
