Hardekar Manjappa

Hardekar Manjappa (Kn:ಹರ್ಡೇಕರ ಮಂಜಪ್ಪ) (1886–1947) was a Kannadiga political thinker, social
reformer, writer and journalist. He is famously known as Gandhi of Karnataka. [1]

Early life and education

Hardekar Manjappa

Born

18 February, 1886

Banavasi, Uttara Kannada

Died

3 January 1947

Nationality

Indian

Notable works

Indian Independence Movement, Gandhian, Kannada Literature, Social Reformer

Manjappa was born in a poor family of Banavasi, a village of Uttara Kannada district. He studied in the
nearby town of Sirsi and passed the Mulki (current primary education) final examination in 1903.[2] He
started his career as a teacher on a salary of seven rupees a month.

Movement

Manjappa and his brother were involved in the Swadeshi movement. The brothers knew Marathi and
opened a weekly Dhanurdhari (journal/newsletter), (kn:’ಧನುರ್ಧಾರಿ’), on 2 September 1906 with more
than 10,000 subscribers. He was slowly drawn to Saint-Reformist Basavanna's teachings. Basava's
teachings included the elimination of casteism and the myriad evils and superstitions connected with it.
Manjappa wrote several booklets to bring out the essential teachings of Basava and tried to encourage
unity among his latter day followers. In 1913, he started celebrating Basava Jayanthi publicly.

Manjappa opened an ashram school in Almatti in 1927. He toured villages of North Karnataka to create
awareness about Gandhiji’s constructive work. He discerned a number of similarities between the
teachings of Basavanna and Gandhi and Manjappa became adept at expressing these teachings in easily
understandable language in public speeches.

Later work

Manjappa delivered more than a thousand lectures on topics such as Satyagraha, patriotism and
nationalism.

In 1924 with the help of his team 'Basweshara Seva Dala' he organized the Congress Party session in
Belgaum. He had a leading role in the session and presented a book on Basavanna to Gandhi.

Manjappa was a freedom fighter who became popularly known as the "Gandhi of Karnataka".[3][4]

He wrote more than 40 books including an autobiography.

Manjappa died on 3 January 1947.[2]