The former Minister and socialist leader Kagodu Thimmappa has been chosen for the Devaraj Urs award, which will be presented in Bengaluru on Sunday on the occasion of the former Chief Minister’s birth anniversary.
Mr. Thimmappa, 90, told press persons on Thursday that the award brought him a sense of satisfaction as he was in the last leg of his life. He also recalled the days he fought for the rights of tenant farmers and how he presented their case in the Legislative Assembly. The farmers’ long struggle resulted in the Land Reforms Act, passed when Urs was the Chief Minister.
Mr. Thimmappa was a high school student in 1951 when his village, Kagodu, caught the attention of the nation as tenant farmers revolted against the landlords. The movement was then led by H. Ganapathiyappa, Shantaveri Gopala Gowda, and others. Prominent socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia joined the protest, and he was arrested.
