Kagodu Sathyagraha edit
Kagodu movement[1] is the movement of people who fought to claim their rights over land. It was first of its kind in the post-independent India. edit
Kagodu movement or Kagodu sathyagraha (in Kannada: ಕಾಗೋಡು ಸತ್ಯಾಗ್ರಹ) as it is popularly called, took place in Kagodu and neighboring villages of Sagara taluk of Shimogga district.
During the time of British rule, feudal system was prevalent in Kagodu. Kotidars, Inamdars, Jahagirdars and Desais were the local landlords. Tenants had to pay the landlords a fixed measure of agricultural produce. Although this measure was fixed as 60 Kolaga (Kolaga : in Kannada ಕೊಳಗ - is a traditional measure) at other places, the landlords here had fixed it at 63.
During 1950-51, the tenants agitated against feudal lords to claim their rights over the land and also to protest against fixing of excess of agricultural produce to be given by them to the land lords. This agitation began in the surrounding villages of Kagodu and was aimed at a single slogan 'Land to the Tiller' (in Kannada: ಉಳುವವನೇ ಹೊಲದೊಡೆಯ).
Villagers of Sooraguppe, Yalakundli, Maasooru, Keladi among others joined the agitation under the leadership of Shanthaveri Gopala Gowda[2], Sadashivaraya and others. This agitation had the support of the great thinker and socialist Dr. Rammanohar Lohia. With his entry, the movement took a new turn.
The 'Kagodu Sathyagraha', which began immediately after Independence, had drawn the attention of the entire nation. The tenants themselves were involved so deeply in the movement, that the Government was forced to announce its decision to allot the lands to the tillers. About two and a half decades later, during the tenure of Late Shri D. Devaraja Urs[3] as the then Chief Minister of Karnataka during 1972-77 'Land to the tiller' was legalized and was introduced in the 20 point program of the Government. The seeds of such a move were sown during the 'Kagodu Sathyagraha'.
After the Kagodu movement, Malaprabha agitation was another landmark in the history of peasants' struggle of Karnataka.
- ^ Correspondent, Our Special (2004-12-13). "Kagodu Satyagraha was not an Idiga mutiny: freedom fighter". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ^ "Shantaveri Gopala Gowda", Wikipedia, 2019-07-24, retrieved 2019-08-15
- ^ Sep 16, TNN | Updated:; 2017; Ist, 6:52. "karnataka: Karnataka brings back D Devaraj Urs' policy of land to the tiller | Bengaluru News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
{{cite web}}:|last2=has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)