Chapter XIII CULTURE - Government of Karnataka

A Handbook of Karnataka 498
experienced difficulties and to avoid the proscribing of its copies. B.N. Gupta
started publishing it under the title ‘Prajamitra’ from Hubli. Gupta also
founded the ‘Janavani an evening Kannada daily (1934). Other journals such
as the ‘Swadeshabhimani (Mangalore, 1907), the ‘Nadegannadi’ and the ‘Vikata
Vinodini’ (monthly) the last being a monthly dedicated to humour, ‘Koravanji’
being another such venture.
When the nationalist movement was at its peak, several literary journals
managed to increase their leadership. Prominent among them are the ‘Jaya
Karnataka’ (1922, Dharwad) of Alur Venkata Rao, Galaganatha’s ‘Sadbodha
Chandrike’(1907, Agadi) the ‘Jayanthi (1938, Dharwad), the ‘Prabhuddha
Karnataka’ (1932, Bangalore) and the ‘Kannada Sahitya Parishatpatrike’ (1916,
Bangalore). ‘Jeevana’ (1940, Dharwad) was later brought to Bangalore where
the noted literary figure Masti Venkatesh lyengar edited it.
In North Karnataka, the freedom movement was led by ‘Samyuktha
Karnataka’. In 1929, it was started as a weekly in Belgaum by a group of
energetic men. Kabbur Madhava Rao, Rama Rao Hukkerikar and Ranganatha
Ramachandra Diwakar ran it for sometime. In 1933, the Lokashikshana Trust
of Diwakar took and started publishing it as a daily from Hubli. Its Bangalore
edition was launched in 1959. Hanumantha Rao Moharey played a very
important role in the development of Samyuktha Karnataka. R.R. Diwakar’s
‘Nava Shakti’ (English 1923, Dharwad) was a weekly. Patil Puttappa has been
editing the ‘Prapancha’ a weekly (1954, Hubli) and the ‘Vishwa Vani’ (1959,
daily). The ‘Kasturi (1956, Hubli) and the ‘Tushara’ (1973, Manipal) are the
popular monthly Kannada magazines of Karnataka.
The Printers (Private) Limited, Bangalore, a joint stock company created
history with its newspapers, the Prajavani (a Kannada daily) and the ‘Deccan
Herald’ (an English daily) which were started in 1948. Now it is a large institution
in the state by virtue of its largest circulation. Its other publications are ‘Sudha’
a Kannada weekly and ‘Mayura’ a Kannada monthly. Another Kannada daily
the ‘Kannada Prabha’ belongs to the Express group of newspapers. Its inagural
issue came out on November 4, 1967, with N.S.Seetharam Shastry as its
editor.
The Mysore city has a very large number of evening dailies, besides
other periodicals and journals. They include, ‘Mysore Patrike’ (1941),
Varthamana’(1947), ‘Vishwadoota’ (1962), ‘Asoka’ (1964), ‘Rajya Dharma’
(1967), ‘Sudharma’ (1970)-a Sanksrit daily, the ‘Aruna’ (1947), ‘Vijaya’ (1947),
‘Independent’ (1967) and ‘Sankranthi’. ‘Sadhvi’ (1936) was run by Agaram
Rangaiah who had his training in Journalism under Dr. Annie Besant.
The beginning of the eighties was the period of censorship. The National
Emergency days of 1975 caused a suffocating atmosphere for Journalism.
Journalism in particular had to live down its ignominy of buckling under pressure
during the Emergency. Another important circumstance that determined the
role of the press was the need for effective opposition due to the one-party rule
for a long time in the country. Perhaps one of the most important magazines
that caught the spirit of this prevailing mood and was successful in expressing