Shanthaveri Gopala Gowda

A Firebrand politician who understood the culture of the land being a villager himself had a great following amongst the farmers and the farming community of Karnataka. A well-read person with a great love for the Kannada language, Sri Shanthaveri Gopal Gowda was a close friend to many intellectual and literary luminaries such as the poet, Sri Gopalakrishna Adiga, the novelist, Dr. U.R. Ananthamurthy, writer and journalist, P. Lankesh and the farmers’ Association leader, M.D. Nanjundaswamy. Dr. Ananthamurthy wrote the novel- Avasthe (‘’State of Life’’) based on the life of Sri Gopal Gowda. This was made into a sensitive film of the same name with Dr. Anant Nag playing the lead role.

A rare idealist and a daredevil leader - his Kagodu Satyagraha, an indefinite fast held to provide justice to the farmers of Karnataka is still fresh in the minds of Karnataka people. His death at an early age heralded the slow decline of the socialist movement in Karnataka. M.D. Nanjundaswamy was one of the few to carry forward the movement along the lines that Sri Gopal Gowda envisaged. Gowda played a pivotal role in drawing the attention of the nation to the plight of the farmers.

This website would give you a glimpse into the life and times of Sri Gopal Gowda, and his simplicity while still pursuing the highest ideals of service to the people with missionary zeal, dedication, and commitment. His sacrifice and contribution to our state, Karnataka, and therefore to the nation is still fondly remembered even today by various leaders and torchbearers of our Democracy. He is the epitome of how a political leader should conduct himself in both political and personal life.