Kadidal Manjappa

Kadidal Manjappa (10 July 1908 – 8 March 1992) was an Indian independence activist, politician and writer, who served as the third Chief Minister of Karnataka (then Mysore State) for a short period in 1956.

Early life Manjappa was born on 10 July 1908 in Harohalli, a village in Shimoga district of the erstwhile Kingdom of Mysore (in present-day Karnataka, India). He was born into a Vokkaliga family of farmers. He was the eldest among eight children of Duggappa Gowda, who died when Manjappa was aged 12, and Gangamma. He completed his graduation from the Maharaja's College, Mysore and obtained his law degree from the Poona Law college. Manjappa practiced as a lawyer starting 1935 in Shimoga. His second novel titled NaaLeya NeraLu was published in 1966 and the final one, Kranti KooTa, in 1975. His autobiography, Nanasaagada Kanasu, was published in 1990. Manjappa suffered from stomach ulcer and died on 8 March 1992. He served as a minister in various central and state governments for 32 years. He played an important role in initiating land reforms in the early 1950s by introducing laws related to the abolition of absentee landlordism and recognition to the right of cultivators. He is remembered for introducing the Tenancy Act. Several other progressive acts like the Inam abolition act came into being because of vision. He joined protests against emergency excesses in 1976 and later, headed the Karnataka state unit of "Congress for Democracy" floated by Babu Jagjivan Ram.

The former Langford Road in Bengaluru has been renamed as "Kadidal Manjappa Road" in his honor. His centenary celebrations were held in 2008.