Community Empowerment by Dr. SBM Prasanna, Dr. K Puttaraju, Dr.MS Mahadevaswamy (books under 200 pages TXT) 📕

Ishwara Bhat Law and social Transformation in India, Eastern Book Company, Lucknow ,2009 p.454

Ibid P.454

Aditi Dani, Social Security for the unorganized sector, September 29,2010 http://jurisonline.in/?p=1498

Madhava Rao P, Social security for the unorganized in India-An Approach paper, http://www.globalaging.org/health/world/socindia.pdf

The State shall regard the raising of the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties and, in particular, the State shall endeavour to bring about prohibition of the consumption except for medicinal purposes of intoxicating drinks and of drugs which are injurious to health (Article 47).

Refer Aditi dani, Social Security for the unorganized sector, September 29,2010 http://jurisonline.in/?p=1498

Article10 states that 1. Each Member shall take measures towards ensuring equal treatment between domestic workers and workers generally in relation to normal hours of work, overtime compensation, periods of daily and weekly rest and paid annual leave in accordance with national laws, regulations or collective agreements, taking into account the special characteristics of domestic work.2. Weekly rest shall be at least 24 consecutive hours. 3. Periods during which domestic workers are not free to dispose of their time as they please and remain at the disposal of the household in order to respond to possible calls shall be regarded as hours of work to the extent determined by national laws, regulations or collective agreements, or any other means consistent with national practice.

CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES OF LEADERS OF BACKWARD CLASS MOVEMENT – MYSORE STATE

Dr. N. C. Sujatha

Chairperson and Assistant Professor, Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, Karnataka State Open University, Muktha Gangotri, Mysore

ABSTRACT

Turn of the nineteenth century princely Mysore witnessed a movement for the uplift of the people who were backward in all respect. Mysore being admired as a model state, but 96% of its people was backward. The government’s effort notwithstanding the communities had their own leaders. These leaders faced numerous challenges, both inherent of the society and of social stigma. Challenges of over-coming lack of awareness, lack of education, inertia among the people and lack of opportunities. The leaders followed strategies well suited for the task. Theirs was a herculean task of mobilizing, awakening, educating and bringing the masses to the level of equal opportunities. The paper intends to discuss these challenges faced and strategies followed by the leaders of these backward classes.

Introduction:

The social movements started in the wake of British rule in several parts of India during the 19th and twentieth century’s is an off shoot of the wide awakening among all sections of the society. The gross realities foretold by the service minded and conscious leaders in Bengal, Maharashtra cause an effective movement for the social uplift and empowering those who were so far forbidden from climbing the ladder of social mobility. This paper intends to study the problems the leadership faced, strategies, evolved and the outcome of those efforts in a nut-shell.

Mysore State was no exception. Closing decades of the nineteenth century witnessed a sort of restlessness among the few who had come-up on their own due to the education. These leaders were so isolated, and helpless they couldn’t do anything for their people who were in dire condition of neglect and desperation. Efforts made by the princely class not withstanding their genuine concern deemed to be a failure, as the problems and challenges they faced were numerous. The Regent Maharani ‘Vanivialsa Sannidana’ and her brother Sir Kantharaja Urs lamented of their failure to provide social justice to majority of their citizens who were the tax payers.

By the turn of the twentieth century there were few, among the majority of the backward classes, educated and in good social positions because of their elite connections and education. A handful of them had determination of working towards the uplift of the society. Thus arose, the leadership out of the backward classes.

Leadership:

By 1900 A.D. the leadership among these backward classes was not to be seen. They neither had a marked line to start a race for upward mobility, nor had the resources that needed to pull the majority of their people from utter deprivation they were experiencing. Slowly the leadership emerged among them and few dedicated among them were strong enough to turn those unfortunate masses.

The Veerashaiva mathas were in the forefront of organizing their followers and imbibing the desire for progress. The mathas worked towards mobilizing the people of rural areas. This mathas like Siddaganaga Math, Suttur Math and others provided natural leadership for these backward classes. The mathas on the model of Christian missionaries tried to work-out something to make their followers progress.

Muslim community was served by its mosques and could work towards mobilizing their followers towards their spiritual and social needs. But hardly there was any effort to shrug the poverty and ignorance of the masses of this community.

Other communities like the Vokkaligas, the Kurubas, and Kanchutigas were scattered and had no semblance of mobilization and were scattered. The rise of leadership among them was through few who were determined to better the conditions of the people on the model of other communities. It is their social linkages, marriage alliances which were the strong factors which could lead them to mobilizes them.

The depressed classes who were in the last wrung of the society were deeply depressed and could not provide any leadership on their own. They have to depend on the sympathy of the government and other communities.

The leadership for these classes did not come just from within. There were sympathizers, philanthropists from few higher classes as well. The great turning point was the role of Queen-Mother and Regent Vanivilasasannidana and her brother Kantharaj Urs. Their deep thinking and compassion brought more in the form of shift in the governmental policies, as they openly expressed inclusive governance.

Challenges:

Rise of few dedicated leaders among these backward classes did not open vistas of opportunities for them. The problems and challenges were more disheartening to leaders. The multitude for whom they worked had no inclination, nor idea of their efforts.

The lack of education, depressing conditions of their living showed them in poor rating of social indicators of education and employment. The foremost challenge these groups faced was the ignorance. The people were so ignorant they had no idea of educating their children to make them strong enough to face the numerous problems they faced. They lived in ignorance, led their children in the same path and left them to contemplate in the dark.

Poverty-superstition and blind belief were the major hurdles in the working of backward class leaders. The majority of their caste-brethren were so poor, they could not think of changing the mode of their life. They were stricken from the treble curse of poverty-ignorance and blind belief. Their belief in the idea of Karma was so strong, many-a-times, even a strong willed leader could be disappointed at his failure to turn these people towards progress.

Major hurdle in the work of motivation was the lack of opportunities to them. The people who had a chance of educating their wards left with little attraction of employment opportunities. Education and employment being the key indicators of social upward mobility; the state had a dismal progress in this sector. The employment was associated with education and merit. The few who could come-out of the shackles of ignorance had little to feel confident of gaining employment.

Strategies:

The backward class leaders starting the work of uplift of their brethren though had great challenges, showed their steadfast leadership by following strategies that helped them in greater way to over-come those challenges and to ensue good results.

The leaders of all these groups and castes had tough challenge of mobilizing their caste brethren and secondly of awakening them-which seemed to be a task quite impossible. Surprisingly most of these castes organized themselves into caste-associations. By 1905 Lingayat Education Society was established. 1906; the Vokkaligara Sangha took its birth, followed by Central Mohammadan Association, 1907, Kurubara Sangha, 1908 and Kanchutigas organized themselves into an association by 1910. By the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, more than 40% of the state’s population was organized. Thus the hurdle of scattered population and lack of coordination solved.

Mobilissation of those people on caste basis was a great achievement and greater attraction, which brought much needed organizational platform for these leaders to bring change they desired. The wider platforms they had of mutual understanding and cooperation among themselves raised their voice to be heard by the rulers.

The government was co-operative and eagerly provided facilities of free-primary education, enhanced scholarships, opened more schools in rural areas. The responsibility of these backward class leaders was to bring the children to schools. It was a hard task. The parents due to ignorance and utter deprivation were unable to send their wards to schools. Many of those children were bread-earners. Poverty kept most of them within their homes.

The volunteers from these associations struggled hard to convince the parents to admit their children to schools. They pleaded with philanthropists among themselves to donate to start boarding homes at District and taluk levels to enable those boys and girls to continue their education. Lingayat education, Society, Veerashaivia Maths, Vokkaligara Sangha Central Mohammadan Association and Kurubara Sangha established hostels, orphanages in all Districts and in Bangalore and Mysore.

Fortunately for the backward class movement in Mysore was supported by a strong propaganda machinery; both in support and against to it. These leaders proved good propagandists. They utilized the press properly and in this respect their achievement is great. Veerashaiva’s were supported by the “Mysore Star” of Yajaman Veerabhadraiah, Vokkaligara Sangha went ahead and established its own newspaper Vakkaligara Patrike. Mohammadan Association had its own supporters in Urdu Papers. Missionaries showed their solidarity with backward class leaders. Harvest Field and Vrittanta Patrike played a pivotal role in awareness campaign of these leaders. The Daily Post, Madras time, Justice supported their cause.

The critiques; notwithstanding the desperate situation of the majority of the state’s population ridiculed the attempts made by these leaders. The criticism of the government’s policy of opening schools to all irrespective of caste or creed, and other governmental measures to provide reservations in government posts divided the society on communal basis.

The Non-brahmin movement as this movement came to be called divided State’s population. But the larger groups tend to rise up the ladder of social and political fields playing a greater role in strengthening State’s credit to be progressive state.

Passing of Miller Committees proposals as legislation in 1921 is the major yardstick for the success of the movement. It provided reservation for the people in employment.

Conclusion:

The success of the movement was its empowering a larger section of the people, making them more responsible and to have a larger share in its all-round development.

Notes and References:

The leaders were: B. Basavaiah, Yajaman Veerbhadraiah, Banumaiah, B. K.H. Ramaiah, Abbaskhan, Puttaiah Gulam Ahmad Kalami, Manikavelu Mudalaiar, Banumaiah and others

Muhammad Abbas Khan Thirty years History of the Central Mohammadan Association of Mysore 1907-1938. K.S.A Bangalore.

Kuppuswamy B. ‘Backward Class Movement in Karnataka’ p-50.

Karnataka Backward Classes Commission Report 1975. Vol-1, Part-III. P-1

Kuppuswamy B. Backward Class Movement in Karnataka p-51

Vokkaligara Patrike, dtd 9-11-1910., 30-07-1919, p-5

The Mysore Star (micro film) dtd 12-07-1916. K.S.A Bangalore.

The Daily Post (eveninger) dtd 09-11-1910, 13-4-1914

Sampadabyudaya dtd 08-05-1920.

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