Bendre And Linguistic Movement In Karnataka

Language has been a binding factor and also the strength of the people of a region. Thus, language provided the base for the growing nationalist movement in Karnataka in late 19th and early 20th century. The people, more particularly the intelligentsia, protested against Kannada being replaced or dominated by other languages, especially the neighbouring regional ones like Marathi, Telugu. The resistance was surprisingly not much against English, the official language of the ruling class. The movement that initially started as a protest against linguistic oppression soon morphed into one that demanded a separate state to be created consolidating all Kannada-speaking regions. Thus, making the unification of Karnataka one of the major historical events in India.The paper is an attempt to study the linguistic movement in Karnataka during late 19th and early 20th century. D.R. Bendre, the noted Kannada poet represent a significant moment in the history of Karnataka. Here an attempt has been made to analyse his role in the unification movement