Dinakara Desai
Encyclopedia
Dinakara Desai at in Kannada poetry
known as chutuka and hence is known as Chutuka Brahma
(creator of Chutukas). This format was later adopted by other poets. He has made immense contribution towards the literary development of the Uttara Kannada
district of Karnataka.
. He became an associate to M. N. Joshi and started looking at the social issues plaguing labourers. In this regard, he joined the Servants of India Society
which was an organisation started by Gopal Krishna Gokhale
. The membership to this organisation was very stringent and the members were admitted only on an oath that they would serve the country without expecting anything in return. His initiation to social activism was when he had to fight for the rights of the dock workers in Mumbai
who were mainly Konkani people
. Later, he also went to the Bijapur and Dharwad
districts of Karnataka to help in providing relief when a severe drought had set into those region. He grew in stature and also held a position in the Mumbai City Corporation. Later, he decided to concentrate on his native district of Uttara Kannada
and here he started an agitation against the landlords which finally culminated in the law granting the land ownership to the person who tills the land. He started the Kanara Welfare Trust in 1957 and under the aegis of this trust, various schools and colleges were started in this district. He also started a Kannada language weekly Jansevak at Ankola
to create social and political awareness. Some of the regular contributors to his weekly included stalwarts like Gourish Kaikini
. Dinakara Desai also tried his hand at politics and was once elected to the Parliament of India
.
s and humour
. He has also written few books for children and a travelogue called as Na kanda Paduvana.
Kannada poetry
Kannada poetry is poetry written in the Kannada language spoken in Karnataka. Karnataka is the land that gave birth to eight Jnanapeeth award winners, the highest honour bestowed for Indian literature...
known as chutuka and hence is known as Chutuka Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
(creator of Chutukas). This format was later adopted by other poets. He has made immense contribution towards the literary development of the Uttara Kannada
Uttara Kannada
Uttara Kannada also known as North Canara or North Kanara, is a district in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is bordered by the state of Goa and Belgaum District to the north, Dharwad District and Haveri District to the east, Shimoga District and Udupi District to the south and the...
district of Karnataka.
Career
Initially, Dinakara Desai intended to become a lawyer but he came under the influence of labour union activists M. N. Joshi and Thakkar Basha, who motivated him to contribute to the labour movementLabour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
. He became an associate to M. N. Joshi and started looking at the social issues plaguing labourers. In this regard, he joined the Servants of India Society
Servants of India Society
The Servants of India Society was formed in Pune, Maharashtra, on June 12, 1905 by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, who left the Deccan Education Society to form this association. Along with him were a small group of educated Indians, as Natesh Appaji Dravid, Gopal Krishna Deodhar and Anant Patwardhan who...
which was an organisation started by Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Gopal Krishna Gokhale, CIE was one of the founding social and political leaders during the Indian Independence Movement against the British Empire in India. Gokhale was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and founder of the Servants of India Society...
. The membership to this organisation was very stringent and the members were admitted only on an oath that they would serve the country without expecting anything in return. His initiation to social activism was when he had to fight for the rights of the dock workers in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
who were mainly Konkani people
Konkani people
Konkani people , form a group of people mainly found in the Konkan Coast of western India whose mother-tongue is the Konkani language....
. Later, he also went to the Bijapur and Dharwad
Dharwad District
Dharwad District is an administrative district of the state of Karnataka in southern India. Dharwad is the cultural headquarters of North Karnataka....
districts of Karnataka to help in providing relief when a severe drought had set into those region. He grew in stature and also held a position in the Mumbai City Corporation. Later, he decided to concentrate on his native district of Uttara Kannada
Uttara Kannada
Uttara Kannada also known as North Canara or North Kanara, is a district in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is bordered by the state of Goa and Belgaum District to the north, Dharwad District and Haveri District to the east, Shimoga District and Udupi District to the south and the...
and here he started an agitation against the landlords which finally culminated in the law granting the land ownership to the person who tills the land. He started the Kanara Welfare Trust in 1957 and under the aegis of this trust, various schools and colleges were started in this district. He also started a Kannada language weekly Jansevak at Ankola
Ankola
Ankola which is a Taluk is in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka state, India. A small town by any standard surrounded by numerous temples. It is in line with Arabian sea. The beaches present at this place are Baskal gudda, nadibag, shedikuli, keni, Belekeri and many more...
to create social and political awareness. Some of the regular contributors to his weekly included stalwarts like Gourish Kaikini
Gourish Kaikini
Gourish Kaikini was a litterateur, teacher and columnist in Kannada language. He was conferred with many prestigious awards including Sahitya Academy award and Rajyotsava Award given by Government of Karnataka. He also wrote in Konkani language.-Early life:Gourish Kaikini was born on October 12,...
. Dinakara Desai also tried his hand at politics and was once elected to the Parliament of India
Parliament of India
The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
.
Poetry and literature
Dinakara Desai started his association with poetry by writing lengthy poems. His first publication was called as Kavana Sangraha (meaning collection of poems) and this was released in the year 1950. This was followed by a 1955 collection of poems, Hu Gonchalu (meaning bouquet of flowers). Hu Gonchalu contained some popular poems like Tarunara Dasare and Kadala Kannada. Later, he started experimenting with different forms of poetry and invented his signature format called as chutuka which was essentially a four-line limerick. His chutukas were published in his Jansevak paper and these became hugely popular. He wrote his chutukas in various themes and these included satires, criticismCriticism
Criticism is the judgement of the merits and faults of the work or actions of an individual or group by another . To criticize does not necessarily imply to find fault, but the word is often taken to mean the simple expression of an objection against prejudice, or a disapproval.Another meaning of...
s and humour
Humour
Humour or humor is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement...
. He has also written few books for children and a travelogue called as Na kanda Paduvana.