Socialists played a prominent role in influencing pro-people movements in Karnataka, says Puttaiah Peraduru
The Hindu
Influential socialists in Karnataka shaped farmers' and Dalit movements, sparking historic Kagodu Satyagraha and inspiring political activism.
The socialists of Karnataka had great influence on the farmers’ movement and the Dalit movement in the state, said Puttaiah Peraduru, a senior socialist in Shivamogga.
He recalled his association with senior socialists in an interaction programme organized by Bahumukhi, a literary forum in Shivamogga on Saturday (February 8, 2025).
When he was a student, the peasants of Sagar revolted against the landlords for their rights. The movement, which became popular as Kagodu Satyagraha, attracted wider attention with the involvement of Shantaveri Gopala Gowda and others. “The movement got international attention when socialist Ram Manohar Lohia joined it and got arrested in Sagar. The events that unfolded following the Kagodu Satyagraha gave a strong footing for the socialist movement in the State,” he said.
Recalling the first election that Shantaveri Gopala Gowda fought, Puttaiah said, the candidate with no funds to campaign sought people’s support. The slogan “one vote and one note” was coined to raise funds. “A majority of people contributed money. The highest amount contributed by an individual was ₹10. Gopala Gowda won in the historic election. However, now, elections are fought spending crores of rupees,” he lamented.
The socialist movement influenced Prof. M.D. Nanjundaswamy, Poornachandra Tejaswi and other like-minded people to join hands and form Samajawadi Yuvajana Sabha. The same organization later gave birth to Karnataka Raitha Sangha, which fought for the causes of the farming community effectively for decades. Similarly, the socialists influenced movements aimed at countering caste-based atrocities, he stated.
S.B. Vasudeva, spoke about Basappa, a Gandhian and freedom fighter of Shivamogga. Basappa became Gandhi Basappa as he followed Gandhi’s principles in his life.
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