Rachappa Hadapad selected for Rajyotsava award
- Social activist Rachappa Hadapad has been selected for the Kannada Rajyotsava award from Dharwad.
- Hailing from Hole-Hosur in Bailjhongal taluk of Belagavi district, Rachappa Hadapad spent his childhood at Tirlapur in Navalgund taluk of Dharwad district before shifting to Dharwad.
- A barber by profession, Rachappa Hadapad has been a socialist and a follower of Ram Manohar Lohia’s ideology. He was attracted to socialism after he came in contact with Shanteveri Gopalgowda who was fighting for the landless in the region.
- Running a small hair cutting saloon ‘Samata’ at the grass market in Dharwad, he used to discuss the socialist ideology with his customers, and understand the development that were taking the field in the country and world.
- At a time when newspapers and the radio were the main stay of mass media in the 70s and early 80s, Rachappa used to keep newspapers and literature containing socialist ideologies in his shop. He was also associated with the Jayaprakash Narayan’s movement in the early 70s, and during the emergency, he was actively involved in strengthening the movement in this region.
- Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha had honoured him in 2011 by presenting the J H Patel award, and later it had made him the honorary vice-president of KVV Sangha for a period of three years.
