Patil Puttappa

Who is Patil Puttappa?

Patil Puttappa is an Indian writer, veteran journalist and activist based in Hubli. He was founder-editor of the now-defunct Kannada weekly Prapancha and the daily Vishwavani.

Puttappa, who led an agitation in the late 1940s and 1950s demanding the unification of areas where Kannadigas were in a majority, said the Old Mysore region, which was ruled by the Maharaja of Mysore, were initially reluctant to agree to the unification.

He was the president of the Dharwad-based Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha for over 30 years. He represented the State in the Rajya Sabha for two terms. He was the first president of the Kannada Watchdog Committee that was later renamed as the Kannada Development Authority.

Puttappa was President for the 70th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held on 2003 at Belgaum. Puttappa spoke at the valedictory function of the second World Kannada Meet held in Belgaum.

Puttappa holds a master’s degree in Journalism from California State University in 1949.