CleanupBot II at 21:39, 13 August 2023

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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Gangadharrao Deshpande
| birth_date ={{Birth date|df=yes|1871|03|31}}
| birth_place = Hudli, [[Belgaum]]<ref name="DrRSNarayan">{{cite book|author=Dr. R.S. Narayan|title=Gangadhar Rao Deshpane|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MIcmDwAAQBAJ|year=2017|publisher= Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting |isbn=9788123024424|page=1}}</ref>
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1960|07|30|1871|03|31}}
| nationality = Indian
| other_names = Lion of [[Karnataka]],<ref name="DrRSNarayan"/><ref name="BNPandith"/><ref name="WaitForMemorialOver">{{cite news|title=Finally wait for Lion of Karnataka Memorial is over (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಸಿಂಹನ ಸ್ಮಾರಕಕ್ಕೆ ಕೂಡಿಬಂತು ಕಾಲ) |url=https://vijaykarnataka.indiatimes.com/district/belagavi/gangadhar-rao-deshpande-memorial/articleshow/68601989.cms |author=Raju Ustad Belagavi |accessdate=28 March 2019|newspaper=Vijay Karnataka|location=Karnataka, India}}</ref> [[Khadi]] Bhageeratha of [[Karnataka]]<ref name="BNPandith">{{cite news|title=Spinning a revolution |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/223152/spinning-revolution.html |author=B N Pandith |accessdate=30 January 2012|newspaper=Deccan Herald|location= Karnataka, India}}</ref>
| known_for = [[Indian independence movement|Indian Independence Movement]]
| spouse =
| parents =
| relatives =
}}

'''Gangadharrao Balkrishna Deshpande''' (31 March 1871 – 30 July 1960) also known as '''Lion of Karnataka''', '''Khadi Bhageeratha of Karnataka''',<ref name="BNPandith"/> was an [[Indian people|Indian]] [[activist]] who was the leader of the [[Indian independence movement]] against [[British Raj|British colonial rule]] from [[Belgaum]] and the right-hand man of both [[Bal Gangadhar Tilak|Lokamanya Tilak]] and [[Mahatma Gandhi]] in succession.<ref name="DrRSNarayan"/>
Deshpande considered [[Bal Gangadhar Tilak|Lokamanya Tilak]] as his Guru.<ref name="AKBhagwatGPPradhan">{{cite book|author=A.K. Bhagwat & G.P. Pradhan|title=Lokmanya Tilak – A Biography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bYfMbCXyc3kC|publisher= Jaico Publishing House|year=2015|isbn=9788179928462 }}</ref> Deshpande served as Chairman of Karnataka branch of All-India Spinners' Association, and the All India Village Industries Association for some years. Deshpande was largely responsible for the installation of Premier of Bombay, [[B. G. Kher]].<ref name="DrRSNarayan"/>

== Early life ==
Deshpande was born on 31 March 1871 into a [[Kannada language|Kannada]]-speaking [[Deshastha Brahmin|Deshastha Rigvedi Brahmin]] family in Hudli, Belgaum, [[Karnataka]]. His father Balkrishna Deshpande was a [[Vatandar]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MIcmDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT13|title=Gangadhar Rao Deshpande|author=. R.S. NARAYAN|date=31 May 2017|publisher=Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting|accessdate=31 May 2017|page=13|isbn=9788123024424|quote=Deshpande belongs to Rig Vedic deshasta sect of the Brahmin community. His ancestor migrated from Bidar to Bijapur and settled down in Hudli, a small town at the foothills of Western Ghats in Belgaum taluk. Hudli is about 25 Kilometres from Belgaum City. His father was a Vatandar (Indamdar).}}</ref>

== Political work ==
Deshpande's work during the [[Swadeshi Movement]] of 1905-1906 centered around the boycott of [[United Kingdom|British]] goods, encouragement of locally produced (swadeshi, स्वदेशी) goods, promotion of national education, and opposition to the [[Partition of Bengal (1905)|partition of Bengal]].<ref name="DrRSNarayan"/>

[[Indian independence movement|Freedom fighters]] Govindrao Yalgi and Gangadhar Rao Deshpande first planned to host [[Ganesh Chaturthi|Ganesha festival]] as a public event in 1905 for the cause of uniting the people of all faiths to fight against the British. The first 'sarvajanik' (public, सार्वजनिक) Ganesha idol was installed at Govindrao Yalgi's residence. On invitation by Deshpande, [[Bal Gangadhar Tilak|Lokamanya Tilak]], who initiated the celebration of [[Ganesha#Ganesha Chaturthi|Ganapati Festival]], visited [[Belgaum]] for the Ganapati festival in 1906.<ref name="RajuGavali">{{cite news|title=Ganesha festival celebration with 105 years of historyFestival for unity |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/95508/ganesha-festival-celebration-105-years.html |author=Raju Gavali |accessdate=9 September 2010|newspaper=Deccan Herald|location=Belgaum, Karnataka, India}}</ref><ref name="IJPatel">{{cite book|author=I.J. Patel|title=Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: Builders of Modern India|year=1985|url=https://archive.org/details/sardarvallabhbha00pate|publisher= Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting|isbn=9788123021058 }}</ref>

Deshpande invited [[Mohandas Gandhi]] to a political conference at [[Belgaum]] in 1916, so that Gandhi could meet [[Bal Gangadhar Tilak|Lokamanya Tilak]].<ref name="RubyMariam">{{cite book|author=Ruby Maloni Mariam Dossal|title=State Intervention And Popular Response|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t7f0JEWk6HMC| year=1994|publisher= Papers presented at a conference organized by the Dept. of History University of Bombay |isbn=9788171548552 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=100 ft high tricolor installed at Belagavi railway station |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubballi/100-ft-high-tricolor-installed-at-belagavi-railway-station/articleshow/70681802.cms |author=Govind Kamat Maad |accessdate=14 August 2019|newspaper=The Times of India|location=Margoa, India}}</ref>

Deshpande supported the [[Non-cooperation movement|Non-Cooperation Movement]].<ref name="RubyMariam" /> He hosted the [[Belgaum]] Congress Session of 1924, over which [[Mohandas Gandhi|Mahatma Gandhi]] presided.<ref name="DrRSNarayan"/><ref name="WaitForMemorialOver" /> The only session chaired by Gandhi, and address covered [[Kadhi]] spinning and [[Non-cooperation movement|Non-Cooperation Movement]], attended by 70,000 people. The venue of the 1924 session was named ''Vijayanagar'' (after the [[Vijayanagara Empire|Vijayanagar empire]]). Deshpande kept accounts, the expenditure of session was ₹ 2,20,829 and five [[Indian anna|annas]] and six [[paise]]. A park called "Vijaynagar Veera Soudha Udyana" has been built at the same venue (the area is now named "Tilakwadi"), with a statue of Gandhi, and several photographs of 1924 session. Pampa Sarovar, later called Congress Well, which was constructed with cost of ₹ 4,370 and 3 [[Indian anna|annas]], as a water source to the 1924 convention, still exists in Vijaynagar Veerasoudha Udyana.<ref name="ShivaKumar">{{cite news|title=Belgaum played host to historic 1924 meet |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3985897.cms |author=Shiva Kumar |accessdate=16 January 2019|newspaper=The Times of India|location=Belgaum, India}}</ref> [[Freedom fighter]]s [[Jawaharlal Nehru]], [[Subhash Chandra Bose]], [[Sarojini Naidu]], [[Motilal Nehru]], [[Saifuddin Kitchlew]], [[Annie Besant]], [[Shaukat Ali]], and [[R H Kulkarni]] were also present on the occasion.<ref name="NAUSHADBIJAPUR">{{cite news|title=1924: When Gandhi brought Belagavi alive |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/150817/1924-when-gandhi-brought-belagavi-alive.html |author=NAUSHAD BIJAPUR |accessdate=15 August 2017|newspaper=Deccan Chronicle|location=Belgaum, Karnataka, India}}</ref><ref name="Naushad">{{cite news|title=When Belagavi hosted Congress plenary session |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2018/oct/02/when-belagavi-hosted-congress-plenary-session-1879899.html |author=Naushad Bijapur |accessdate=2 October 2018|newspaper=The New Indian Express|location=Karnataka, India}}</ref><ref name="PTI">{{cite news|title=Postcard signed by Mahatma Gandhi auctioned for $20,000 in US |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/64595415.cms |author=Press Trust of India |accessdate=15 June 2018|newspaper=The Times of India|location=Belgaum, India}}</ref>

Deshpande started a [[khadi]] unit at Kumari ashram near Hudali, the first khadi unit in [[Karnataka]]. Deshpande went from [[village]] to [[village]] to create awareness about the [[Swadeshi movement|khadi movement]]. This work was later continued by Pundalikji Katagade.<ref name="BNPandith"/>

When Gandhi broke the [[History of the British salt tax in India|Salt Act]] at [[Dandi, Navsari|Dandi]] and started the [[Salt March|Salt Satyagraha Movement]], Deshpande defied the law be selling contraband salt and was arrested on the same day.<ref name="DrRSNarayan"/> Gandhi visited Hudali in 1937 on the invitation of Deshpande to Gandhi Seva Sammelana (Conference), and stayed for seven days.
Others leaders present in the conference were [[Vallabhbhai Patel|Sardar Vallabhai Patel]], [[Sarojini Naidu]], [[Rajendra Prasad]], [[Bacha Khan|Abdul Gaffar Khan]], [[Mahadev Desai]], [[Kasturba]], along with 10,000 delegates. Gangadhar Rao Deshpande, Pundalik Katagade, Ramachandra Wadavi, Annu Guruji and others helped to build huts for the function. [[Mohandas Gandhi|Mahatma Gandhi]] spoke in [[Hindi]] and Deshpande translated his speech into [[Kannada]]. The conference also conducted 'Rashtriya Vivah' in Hudali, which witnessed the weddings of [[Harilal Gandhi|Manu Gandhi]], Gandhi's granddaughter, and Nirmala Desai, sister of [[Mahadev Desai]]. Hudli also has a "Gandhi Gangadhar Rao Smaraka Bhavan", where photos of [[Mohandas Gandhi|Mahatma Gandhi]] with other national leaders, [[Mohandas Gandhi|Mahatma Gandhi]] at Alfred High School, [[Samaldas College]], [[Salt March|Salt Satyagraha]], [[Belgaum]] Congress Adhiveshana (1924), Second Round Table Conference in London (1931), Gandhi's journey to [[Switzerland]] from [[Paris]] in a third class compartment (1931), [[Kasturba]]'s last moments at [[Aga Khan Palace]], [[Pune]] (1944), and Gandhi's final immersion ceremony are displayed.<ref name="DrRSNarayan"/><ref name="BNPandith"/>

All India Congress committee started [[Quit India Movement]] on 7 and 8 August 1942, in [[Bombay]]. All Congress leaders were arrested, including Deshpande on returning to [[Belgaum]].<ref name="DrRSNarayan"/>

The [[States Reorganisation Commission|Fazl-Ali Commission]] consulted Deshpande during the reorganization of states.<ref name="DrRSNarayan"/><ref name="SNarandraPrasad">{{cite news|title=Language, the binding factor |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/640199/language-binding-factor.html |author=S Narandra Prasad |accessdate=30 October 2017|newspaper=Deccan Herald|location=Belgaum, Karnataka, India}}</ref>

== Gangadharrao Deshpande Memorial and Museum at Belgaum ==
The Department of Kannada and Culture, [[Smart Cities Mission|Smart City]], [[Rani Channamma University, Belagavi|Rani Chennamma University]] and other organizations will be building Gangadharrao Deshpande Memorial and Museum at Ramathertha City Park in [[Belgaum]], for which The [[Belgaum]] Urban Development Authority has sanctioned 1,500 square meters (15 {{transl|kn|[[gunta]]s}}) of land.<ref name="WaitForMemorialOver" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Deshpande, Gangadharrao}}
[[Category:People from Belagavi district]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Karnataka]]
[[Category:1871 births]]
[[Category:1960 deaths]]

Gangadharrao Deshpande - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 21:39, 13 August 2023