K. Shankarappa (1915 – 27 April 2005), known as Khadi Shankarappa, was an Indian senior freedom fighter and
khādī
Khadi (, ), derived from khaddar, is a hand-spun and woven natural fibre cloth promoted by Gandhi as ''swadeshi (of homeland)'' for the freedom struggle of India and the term is used throughout the Indian subcontinent.[Karnataka
Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...]
, based at
Shimoga
Shimoga, officially Shivamogga, is a city and the district headquarters of Shimoga district in the Karnataka state of India. The city lies on the banks of the Tunga River. Being the gateway for the hilly region of the Western Ghats, the city ...
, India. He started his service for the cause of khadi from 1930 onwards in Shimoga. He and S.R. Nagapps Shetty started Sudarshana Khadi Nilaya in Shimoga. Both of them served the cause of khadi and freedom movement.
At that time were the meeting points of congressman and freedom fighters. The freedom movement spread through khadi or in the guise of khadi, started in the concerning
Malnad
Malnad (or Malenadu) is a region in the state of Karnataka, India. Malenadu covers the western and eastern slopes of the Western Ghats mountain range and is roughly 100 kilometers in width. It includes the districts of Uttara Kannada, Shivam ...
districts.
Shankarappa was jailed several times. Much of his activity was underground. He was a congress party messenger between towns in the Malnad districts. He carried messages, distributed handwritten papers, letters and confidential information to the congress workers. He was recognized as Khadi Shankarappa as a result of his work for and devotion to the movement.
After
Indian independence, Shankarappa retired from active politics. He served as the manager of Shimoga khadi bhandar. He also devoted his attention to the co-operative movement in Shimoga District. He published his memories in his
autobiography
An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...
titled "Antharya" in 1999. He died on 27 April 2005 in Shimoga at the age of 90 leaving behind his wife Smt. Sharadamma and three sons and three daughters.
As a mark of respect to the departed soul, both the houses of Karnataka Legislature paid rich tributes to him by a resolution on 31 July 2005 remembering the services and sacrifice of the great freedom fighter.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shankarappa, Khadi
1915 births
2005 deaths
Indian independence activists from Karnataka
People from Shimoga