A Convincing Response to a Colonial Upsurge: Karnataka's Devices to the Appliance of Swadeshi Tenets
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666 Vol.2, Issue-2(2), April-June, 2015 A convincing response to a Colonial upsurge: Karnataka’s Devices to the appliance of Swadeshi Tenets Dr.Puttaraju. K. Lecturer in History, P. G. Dept. of History, Sir M. V. P.G. Center, University of Mysore, Toobinakere, Mandya District, Karnataka Introduction: Reflections on political The Swadeshi movement was a Consciousness: befitting reply to an upward On 5th May 1905 a public meeting colonial power. It became relevant was held presided by Gurunatha because the British government Rao Patak was held in the Victoria could be constrained only through Theatre at Dharwad to protest economic precariousness. Whole of against the partition of Bengal and India find its own means of to encourage the establishment of supporting Swadeshi movement & Local & Swadeshi industries2. The the state of Karnataka including meeting resolved that everyone the dissimilar political divisions should vow not to use foreign enthusiastically responded to the cloth, except in inevitable call of Swadeshi. Though the scale circumstances in order to of success in this movement was encourage Indian artisans and not identical with the trade in Indian goods.& accomplishment of the movement manifested to make people use at All India level, but the only Swadeshi goods. To spread movement though with a timid the message of Swadeshi and initiation gained momentum boycott, Bal Ganghadhara Tilak gradually1 toured North Karnataka during 1905-06 which helped the cause of International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666 Vol.2, Issue-2(2), April-June, 2015 Swadeshi in Mysore region as Textile dealers in Belgaum well. Following the National decided not to import foreign cloth leader, Local leaders such as Alur and in Dharwad, grocers decided Venkata Rao, Sakkari Balachar, not to purchase Daboti and Krishna Rao Mudvedkar, Anantha Johnson sugar 4. It was decided to Rao Dabade and others undertook smoke batti’s instead of bidis and extensive tours and delivered anyone found breaking the rule speeches on Swarajya, Swadeshi, was fined. Hoteliers stopped the Boycott and National Education. sale of tea and people poured kerosene into gutters and instead Reflection on industries: began to use indigenous oil for Swadeshi industries arose in lighting. In one instance after it many places. Vittal Rao was noticed that a bangle seller Deshpande of Hebbal started a had sold foreign bangles saying weaving factory at Kittur. Another that it was Indian, the bangle factory was built in Badami. seller was not only abused but also Cloths made here were sent even had to forego money. to Bengal. Rama Rao Alagvadi Reflections on prohibition opened a Match factory at : Dharwad, while in In Belgaum, along with Swadeshi Lakshmeshwara a Porcelain movement, prohibition was also factory was established. Factories advocated and toddy contractors for manufacturing bangles, pencils had to incur heavy loss. For and many other articles of picketing liquor shops in Belgaum common use arose in many places. nine persons were awarded one- A Karnataka Industrial week imprisonment and fined Rs Conference met at Dharwad in 680 in June 1908. 5Though a 1907 to chalk out plans to develop prominent person of Belgaum Swadeshi industries in Karnataka. offered to pay the fine, the youths New Banks were established to refused his help and preferred help this industries.Boycott of imprisonment. On 8th August 1908 British goods: Apart from wide a public meeting was held in support to swadeshi movement, Bagalkote, which was addressed people of Karnataka by Jayarao Nargund, Jainapur, wholeheartedly participated in the Yalagurdrao, Dharwadkar and boycott of British goods. others. It was proposed to Ranibennur witnessed one of the establish a Swadeshi biggest bonfires of foreign cloth3. Vyaparottejak Samshtha in Bagalkot 6 Reflection on textile industry: International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666 Vol.2, Issue-2(2), April-June, 2015 Reflections on Education: the century8. In 1915 the Kannada The movement also saw the Sahithya Parishad had been establishment of National Schools established at Bangalore with the in various parts of Karnataka. object of bringing together all Alur Venkata Rao started the Kannada-speaking people in order to create a sense of political and Nutana Vidyalaya at Dharwad 9 with arts and crafts also as cultural community among them . subjects in the curriculum. In 1916 Alur Venkataka Rao and Another national school arose at Kadapa Raghavendra Rao founded Navalgund by the efforts of the Karnataka Ekikarana Sabha Dundopanth Sahasrabuddhe. In with the avowed object of Belgaum Kaka Kalelkar achieving a united Karnataka. It established the Ganesh Vidyalaya, was felt that the fight for freedom while Jaya Rao Nargund started would be strengthened and another at Bagalkot. Similar sanctified if there were the schools were established at consciousness of kinship among Hanagal, Agadi and other places. the people of Karnataka. Kadapa The government however saw that Raghavendra Rao toured all over these schools close down one by Karnataka and roused the people one. In South Kanara district, into enthusiasm for Karnataka Ammembala Srinivasa Pai was the unity. Memorials were submitted moving spirit in the boycott of to the Secretary of State for India, foreign goods and the spread of Montagu demanding a separate Swadeshi. Men like K.P.Rao and province for Kannada speaking Panje Mangesha Rao assisted him, people. In 1920, the All-Karnataka while Kolachalam Venkata Rao Political Conference was held at and Sabhapathi Mudaliar were the Dharwad under the president-ship leaders of the freedom movement of V.P.Madhava Rao, a former in Bellary7. Diwan of Mysore. Here delegates from all parts of the state Reflections on Unification: participated and it was decided to Though Tilak had aroused send maximum number of the spirit of patriotism of the delegates from Karnataka to the people of Karnataka the Nagpur Congress session to plea Kannadigas had no separate for a separate Congress province, political entity, which would have which should include all Kannada- 10 been a spur to concerted action. speaking areas . The Nagpur 11 This was realized and keenly felt Congress session presided by by leaders from the early years of C.Vijiaraghavachariar permitted International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666 Vol.2, Issue-2(2), April-June, 2015 Karnataka to have a separate admitting many lower caste people Pradesh Congress Committee into schools Ramachandra Rao (P.C.C.) and Gangadharrao was a follower of Mahatma Deshpande became the first Gandhi, deeply influenced by K.P.C.C. president. A District Satyagraha movement. He was Congress Committee was founded called “Father of Political Unrest” for Mysore state with Justice in princely Mysore. Ramachandra Setlur as president and local Rao was arrested for opposing the committees were started at visit of the Simon commission to Tumkur, Bangalore, Mysore and India in 1928 and became the first other places in the state. political prisoner in Mysore State. He was popularly known as Reflections on social Mysore Gandhi. Ramachandra consciousness: Rao founded the Khaddar Cow protection movement in Sahakara Sangha in 1925. Because Mysore state Anti untouchability of his influence and efforts of movement made many temples to Mahatma Gandhi made his visit to open their doors to Dalits Anti Mysore State. He visited conversion drive in Mysore state Badanavalu village in against the conversion by Nanjanagudu in Mysore region. missionaries. Instrumental in References 3. Brown, Judith M. Gandhi's Rise to Power: Indian Politics 1. Aye Ikegame -Princely India Re- 1915–1922 (Cambridge South imagined- “ A Historical Anthropology of Mysore from Asian Studies) (1974 1799 to the present” Published 4. Brown, Judith M., 'Gandhi and 22nd August 2012 by Civil Resistance in India, 1917– Routledge 47', Civil Resistance and Power Politics: The Experience of 2. Bhagavan, Manu (2008), Non-violent Action from "Princely States and the Hindu Gandhi to the Present. Oxford Imaginary: Exploring the Cartography of Hindu & New York: Oxford University Press, 2009 Nationalism in Colonial India", The Journal of Asian Studies 5. Iyengar A ,S. , Role of Press 67 (3): 881–915, and Indian Freedom Struggle : International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666 Vol.2, Issue-2(2), April-June, 2015 All through the Gandhian Era India's Model State, 1920- APH, 2001, 1936", Modern Asian Studies 9 6. Kamath, Suryanath U. (2001) - (1): 31–58 JSTOR , pp 1-22 A Concise History of 8. Sarojini Shintri, & K. Karnataka: from pre-historic Raghavendra Rao. Women times to the present. freedom fighters of Karnataka Bangalore: Jupiter books 1985 Published by Karnataka 7. Manor, James (1975), "Princely University prasaranga Mysore before the Storm: The dharwad State-Level Political System of .