>Chris the speller at 14:19, 13 December 2021

2021-12-13T14:19:42Z

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{{Infobox person
| name = Ammembala Balappa
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1922|02|23|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Bantwal]], [[Dakshina Kannada]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|05|15|1922|02|23|df=y}}
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| nationality = Indian
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| occupation = Activist, teacher, journalist
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| movement = [[Quit India Movement]]
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| father = Thaniya Moolya
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| awards = Swarna Swathanthrya by the [[Government of Karnataka]]
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}}
'''Ammembala Balappa''' (23 February 1922 – 15 May 2014) was an Indian [[Indian freedom fighter|freedom fighter]] and socialist leader who is known for participating in the [[Quit India Movement]] in 1942.<ref name=ht>{{cite news |last1=Ammembala |first1=Naveen |title=The lifelong revolutionary |url=https://www.pressreader.com/india/hindustan-times-jalandhar/20120805/281852935710671 |publisher=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=August 5, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=ಬಿ.ಸಿ.ರೋಡಿನ ಮುಖ್ಯವೃತಕ್ಕೆ ನಾಮಕರಣ ಗೊಂದಲ |url=https://kannada.megamedianews.com/?p=20637 |publisher=Mega Media News |date=August 6, 2015 |language=Kannada}}</ref> He played an important role in drafting the Declaration of land policy (Land Reforms Act) by the [[D. Devaraj Urs]] government during prime minister [[Indira Gandhi]]'s tenure. He is also credited for founding the first [[Tulu language]] newspaper ''Tulu Siri'' in 1970.<ref name=Daji>{{cite news |title=Mangalore: Freedom fighter Dr Ammembala Balappa no more |url=https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=235064 |publisher=[[Daijiworld Media]] |date=May 15, 2014 |location=[[Mangalore]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Communicator - Volume 39 |date=2004 |publisher=Anjan Kumar Banerji at the [[Indian Institute of Mass Communication]] |page=144 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Communicator/HYBiAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Ammembala+Balappa+Tulu+Siri&dq=Ammembala+Balappa+Tulu+Siri&printsec=frontcover |quote=With the birth of Tulusiri in October 1970, Tulu journalism made its formal beginning. It was a monthly edited by Dr Ammembala Balappa. Unfortunately it had a short life span of three years. It built up a circulation of more than 2,000 copies with good support from advertisers . It contributed a lot to the development of Tulu literature and culture.}}</ref>

== Biography ==
Ammembala was born in [[Bantwal]] taluk of [[Dakshina Kannada]] on 23 February 1922. In his early days, he worked as a helper of a British officer in the [[Mangalore]] administration. His work pleased the officer and helped him to get employed in the sanitation department.<ref name=ht/>

At the age of 20, he took inspiration from [[Mahatma Gandhi]] and jumped into India's freedom struggle during the [[Quit India Movement]] in 1942. With the help of some of his friends, he planted a crude bomb that burnt down the office of the District Court Complex at Light House Hill Road in Bavatagudda of [[Mangalore]]. He was arrested and jailed in [[Vellore Central Prison]], where he shared a ward with [[P. V. Narasimha Rao]] (who later became [[Prime Minister of India]]). He learnt to speak and read the [[Hindi language]] from [[PV Narasimha Rao]] and got in touch with [[Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru]] and [[Jayaprakash Narayan]]. Later, he opened a school in a remote village in southern [[Karnataka]], where he worked as a Hindi teacher during the [[Unification of Karnataka |Unification movement]]. He became involved in the labour movement in [[Mangalore]], started cooperative banks to help rural folk. He was one of the main contributors to the Declaration of Land Policy (Land reforms Act) by the [[D. Devaraj Urs]]'s government during PM [[Indira Gandhi]]'s tenure.<ref name=ht/>

Balappa was also recognized as a journalist, as he published a [[Kannada language]] newspaper called ''Mithra'' in the year 1952.<ref name=deccan>{{cite news |title=Freedom fighter Ammembal Balappa no more |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/407016/freedom-fighter-ammembal-balappa-no.html |publisher=[[Deccan Herald]] |date=May 15, 2014}}</ref> He also started the first [[Tulu language]] newspaper ''Tulu Siri'' in 1970.<ref name=Daji/>

Balappa founded Bantwal Society Service Co-operative Bank in 1980, to provide financial assistance to the rural folks. He had also served as a member of the Land Justice Board between 1975–1977, 1980–1983, 1985–1988. He was a member of the Karnataka state government's [[National Commission for Backward Classes|Backward Class Commission]] and [[Mangalore University]] Academy Council member from 1982 to 1992.<ref name=deccan/> He was also the founder of Samaja Seva Sahakari Bank of Bantwal.<ref>{{cite web |title=History |url=http://sssbank.in/index.php/about-us/history/ |website=sssbank.in}}</ref>

He was honoured with the 'Swarna Swathanthrya' award by the [[State Government of Karnataka]] on the occasion of the 50th year of Indian Independence in 1997.<ref name=deccan/>

Balappa was also guru of trade unionist and union minister [[George Fernandes]].<ref>{{cite news |title=George Fernandes met his mentor Ammembala Balappa when he slept in Nehru Maidan |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2019/jan/30/george-fernandes-met-his-mentor-ammembala-balappa-when-he-slept-in-nehru-maidan-1931803.html |publisher=[[New Indian Express]] |date=January 30, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Raghava |first1=M. |title=George Fernandes, a revolutionary from his childhood |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Mangalore/george-fernandes-a-revolutionary-from-his-childhood/article26125684.ece |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=January 30, 2019}}</ref>

== Death ==
At the age of 93, he died on 15 May 2014 in [[Mangalore]].<ref name=deccan/>

== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balappa, Ammembala}}
[[Category:1922 births]]
[[Category:2014 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian revolutionaries]]
[[Category:People from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Indian independence movement]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Karnataka]]

Ammembala Balappa - Revision history

>Chris the speller at 14:19, 13 December 2021