The Kannada flag is a flag that is in popular use in the state of Karnataka, India. It is widely identified with Karnataka, Kannadigas and the Kannada language. The flag does not represent separatist ideology and was used across the length and breadth of the state by Kannada-centric organizations and private individuals to show solidarity with Kannada causes and demonstrate their unity. [1] It finds a place in the official website of the Government of Karnataka. [2]
The flag was first conceived by Ma Ramamurthy, a Bangalore-based writer, journalist and social activist, often considered as a commander of Kannada movement in 1960s. [3] Ma Ramamurthy was the son of noted freedom fighter and litterateur, Veerakesari Seetharama Shastri. In 1964, Ma Ramamurthy went on a padayatra, protesting against the hoisting of flags by a group from a neighboring State in Bangalore. He then realized the need for a flag representing Karnataka and designed a yellow flag depicting Karnataka map with a paddy crown in the center which was simplified later to its current form. [4] He used the flag for the political party called "Kannada Paksha" which he founded in 1965. The political party is active now the flag has been consistently used all over Karnataka to represent the state, Kannada language and culture. This flag is prominently hoisted on the occasion of Karnataka Rajyotsava celebrated on 1 November as the state's Formation Day. It is routine in many educational and government institutions. After hoisting the flag, the official State anthem written in Kannada, Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate is sung. [5] One can find the yellow-red flag fluttering atop buildings, flag posts at road junctions, and on vehicles along the length and breadth of Karnataka State. Many institutions host the flag to protect their buildings from local agitations.
In several pro-Kannada movements including Gokak agitation the flag has been used as the symbol of the unity of Kannadigas. In 1998, Kannada Development Authority recommended for granting it state flag status but the state law department cited legal hurdles for the same. [6]
In 2009, B. S. Yeddyurappa, then Chief Minister of Karnataka, issued a circular enforcing restrictions on hoisting Kannada flag on government buildings. [7] Later, this move was challenged in Karnataka High Court in 2012 after then Chief Minister D. V. Sadananda Gowda mentioned in his budget speech that the hoisting of the Kannada flag on 1 November will be made compulsory in all government offices, schools and colleges. During hearing, a division bench of the high court headed by Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen questioned the government's move to hoist "any flag" other than the national flag. The court had also sought a response from the government regarding "whether it is possible for the State to have any flag other than the national flag" while also asking the Union government to clarify the law in this connection. [8] Subsequently, the state Govt decided to withdraw its circular before the eve of Rajyotsava in 2012.[ citation needed ]
Karnataka is a state in the south western region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as the State of Mysore, it was renamed Karnataka in 1973. The state corresponds to the Carnatic region. The capital and largest city is Bangalore.
The Kannada people, known as the kannadigaru or Kannadigas, are a Dravidian ethnic group who speak the Kannada language and trace their ancestry to Karnataka state of India and its surrounding regions. Kannada language belongs to Dravidian language family. Significant Kannada minorities are found in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Goa and in other Indian states. An alternate English demonym for Kannadigas in modern works of history is the Kanarese. Modern Kannada stands among 30 most widely spoken languages of the world as of 2001.
Singanalluru Puttaswamy Mutturaju, known mononymously by his stage name Rajkumar was a popular Indian film actor and playback singer in the Kannada cinema. Widely acclaimed as one of the finest actors in the history of Indian cinema, he is considered a cultural icon and holds a matinée idol status in the Kannada diaspora, among whom he is popularly adulated as Nata Saarvabhouma, Bangarada Manushya, Vara Nata and Rajanna. He was honored by Padma Bhushan Award in 1983.
Karnataka Rajyotsava or Kannada Day, also known as Karnataka Formation Day or Karnataka Day, is celebrated on 1 November of every year. This was the day in 1956 when all the Kannada language-speaking regions of South India were merged to form the state of Karnataka.
The Belgaum border dispute is a dispute involving the Indian states of Karnataka and Maharashtra. Belgaum is a part of Karnataka and was earlier part of the British India's Bombay Presidency. The Bombay Presidency encompassed present day Gujarat, Maharashtra as well as certain areas of North Karnataka.
The Unification of Karnataka refers to the formation of the Indian state of Karnataka, then named Mysore State, in 1956 when several Indian states were created by redrawing borders based on linguistic demographics. Decades earlier, during British rule the first demands for a state based on Kannada demographics had been made.
Guggari Shanthaveerappa Shivarudrappa was an Indian Kannada poet, writer and researcher who was awarded the title of Rashtrakavi by the Government of Karnataka in 2006.
The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, popularly known as, KaRaVe and officially as, Namma Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, abbreviated as the KRV and which literally means, Our Karnataka Protection Forum is an organization located in the state of Karnataka, India. The organization has more than 6 million members enrolled from around the world spanning to about 12,000 branches across Karnataka in all 30 districts as well as international branches in the US, UK, UAE, Singapore, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.
Narayana Swamy, known by his stage name Srinath, is an Indian actor film producer who works predominantly in Kannada cinema. He also holds the position of vice-president of Kannada language television channel Udaya TV. He is also popularly known for his presenting in the Game Show, Adarsha Dampatigalu, meant for married couples competing on which pair is the ideal. Srinath is generally called with the nickname Pranaya Raja because of his success in various movies involving love stories. In 2003, he was conferred the Kalaratna Award by the Government of Karnataka.
Vartha Bharati also spelled as Vartha Bharathi is a Kannada daily News paper published simultaneously from Bangalore, Mangalore and Shimoga. It was launched in August 2003. Its main focus was to provide voice and due representation to the deprived and marginalised sections of the society. Janapith and Padma Bhushan awardee Dr.U.R.Anantha Murthy was a great admirer and a regular contributor to this newspaper. Once, in a public meeting he called vartha bharati "The Guardian of Karnataka. The Guardian is the best and most honest newspaper of England, and has created a revolution in the whole of its nation. In the same way, Vartha Bharathi is Karnataka's Guardian," he lauded. Abdussalam Puthige, the editor-in-chief of Varthabharati was inspired by veteran journalist Vaddarse Raghuram Shetty, who had launched Mungaru Kannada daily back in 1984. Mungaru was well known for its generous policy of providing fair representation to all castes, communities and sections of the society. It left a significant mark in the history of Kannada journalism by identifying and nurturing several talents from Dalit, Muslim, Christian and Backward Communities. Numerous well-known Kannada leftist, social activists and Dalit ideologues including U. R. Ananthamurthy, U. B. Banakar, Dr. Niranjan Aradhya, write regularly for the paper.
The Rajyotsava Prashasti or Rajyotsava Awards, the second highest civilian honor of the Karnataka state of India are conferred annually by the Karnataka Government on the occasion of the establishment of the state on 1 November celebrated as the Kannada Rajyotsava.
Sangeeta Katti Kulkarni, her married name, Sangeeta Manmohan Kulkarni, is an Indian playback singer, Hindustani classical vocalist, musician, music composer from Karnataka and She is awarded the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2006 by the Government of Karnataka.
Karnataka is a state in the southern part of India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act. Karnataka is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, Goa to the north-west, Maharashtra to the north, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the south-east, and Kerala to the south-west. The state covers an area of 74,122 sq mi (191,976 km²), or 5.83% of the total geographical area of India. It comprises 30 districts. Kannada is the official language of Karnataka and is spoken by 65% of the population. Various ethnic groups with origins in other parts of India have unique customs and use languages at home other than Kannada, adding to the cultural diversity of the state. Other ethnic minorities in the state in 1991 were Telugu people (8%), Tamil people (3.8%), Marathi people (3.95%), Tuluvas (3.38%), Hindi (1.87%), Konkani people (1.78%), Malayalis (1.69%), Kodavas (0.25%), and Gujarati people (0.10%).
Hebbalalu Velpanur Nanjundaiah was the acting Diwan of Mysore, founder and first Vice Chancellor of the Mysore University, senior judge of the Mysore State High Court and founding president of the Kannada Sahitya Sammelana. He presided over Kannada Sahitya Sammelana from 1915 to 1917 held in Bangalore and Mysore. He was one of the first documented ethnographers in the world, having authored a seminal book Mysore tribes and Castes in 1906, among other books on legal matters.
Under the special status that was granted to the state by Article 370 of the Constitution of India, the State of Jammu and Kashmir was permitted to fly its own state flag in addition to the national flag between 1952 and 2019.
The 1991 Anti-Tamil violence of Karnataka refers to incidents of mob violence targeting Tamils in the Karnataka state of India. The incidents took place in Southern Karnataka on 12–13 December 1991, mainly in the cities of Bangalore and Mysore. The attacks originated in the demonstrations organised against the orders of the Cauvery Water Tribunal appointed by the Government of India. The violence terrified the Tamil populace of Southern Karnataka forcing hundreds of thousands to flee in a matter of weeks. The official statistics given by the Government of Karnataka was that sixteen people had been killed in the police firing during protest but individual sources give higher numbers.
Bengaluru Ramamurthy Chaya is an Indian playback singer, stage performer and a popular Sugama Sangeetha singer from Karnataka state. She has performed pop, folk, devotional and bhavageethe. She is affectionately known as the "Nightingale of Karnataka", a Rajyotsava Prashasti recipient from the State Government of Karnataka and recipient of Karnataka State Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer twice.
Udaykumar was an Indian film actor and producer in Kannada cinema. Uday Kumar, along with Kalyan Kumar and Rajkumar, were called the "Kumara Thrayaru" of the Kannada cinema.
B.T. Lalitha Naik is an Indian politician, writer, and social activist. A former minister for Kannada, Culture, and Department of Women & Child Welfare in the Government of Karnataka Naik has also served as an MLC (1986-1992) and MLA (1994-1999). She won the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award in 1991. She is also known for leading important literary, social and language-rights movements such as Bandaya movement and Gokak agitation.
The Government of Karnataka announced the Rajyotsava awards for the year 2014. The awardees included 59 noted eminent individuals from various fields on the occasions of the 59th anniversary of the Karnataka state formation day. The awards were given away at the Ravindra Kalakshetra in Bangalore on 1 November 2014. The 2014 awards saw 1924 nominations that were screened by a panel. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah announced that the government would bring out commemorative postal stamps of the 59 awardees.