Prof. Mahantha Devaru Nanjundaswamy (13 February 1936–3 Feb 2004) was a Gandhian leader, scholar and India's leading activist, who advocated for the farmers' rights. He is one of the founders of

Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, also known as KRRS, is a farmer's movement. M. D. Nanjundaswamy was the president of the organisation. Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha's state president is Chamarasa Mali Patil. He is based in Raichur District, prese ...

(KRRS) in 1980. He was a strong critic of multi-national companies in India and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). In 1996, Nanjundaswamy protested the opening of the first

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...

in Delhi. He also led the ransacking of newly-opened

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and Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in Bangalore. He is an Indian rural activist and anti-globalization campaign leader.

Early life

Prof M. D. Nanjundswamy was born in Mysore to M. N. Mahantha Devaru and Rajammanni. His father was a farmer-turned-lawyer from Madrahalli village in T Narsipura taluka. He was the fifth child of the couple. He was credited to be the first post graduate from Mysore State. After finishing his B.Sc. in Life Sciences in the Mysore University, he pursued graduation in Law at

Karnatak University Karnatak University is a public state university in Dharwad district of Karnataka state, India. The university is recognized by University Grants Commission and accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). As of 2014, ...

but wanted to become a doctor like his brother, who later became an ENT specialist. As he failed to secure a seat, his parents sent him abroad to the Hague Academy of International Law in the Netherlands to complete his post-graduation in Law. Then he went on to study Constitutional Law in Germany and France before returning to Indian in 1964. Later, he became a professor of law at the

University of Mysore The University of Mysore is a public state university in Mysore, Karnataka, India. The university was founded during the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore. The university is recognised by the University Grants Commission ...

and Bangalore University. His daughter, Chukki Nanjundawamy, lives in Mysore and runs Amrita Bhoomi, an agricultural school, started by him.

Farmers' Movement

As president of the

(Karnataka State Farmers' Association) he led campaigns against agricultural patenting by

multi-national corporation A multinational company (MNC), also referred to as a multinational enterprise (MNE), a transnational enterprise (TNE), a transnational corporation (TNC), an international corporation or a stateless corporation with subtle but contrasting senses, i ...

s, which he called "Western biopiracy". On his birth anniversary on 13 February 2023, Prof

Yogendra Yadav Yogendra Yadav (born 5 September 1963) is an Indian activist, psephologist and politician whose primary interests are in the political and social sciences. He was a Senior Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), Del ...

, founder of Jai Kisan Andolan, remembered Prof Nanjundaswamy and gave a speech about his farmers' movement led by the late leader in Chamarajanagar District in Karnataka, where a main road in the district headquarters town was named after him.

References

1936 births 2004 deaths Indian anti-globalization activists University of Mysore alumni Politicians from Mysore Activists from Karnataka {{India-activist-stub