Boosa Movement: A Prologue to the Birth of New Kannada Intellectualism

Abstract

The Boosa movement was one of the most controversial incidents in the history of Post-Independence literary as well as political discourse in Karnataka. B Basavalingappa, the cynosure of the movement, made a controversial statement on Kannada literature. He commented that most Kannada literature was filled with Boosa (cattle fodder). His statement created an uproar across Karnataka. In this context, this article aims to present how yellow journalism portrayed Basavalingappa and his comments, which eventually made him lose his political position. The hypothesis presents how Basavalingappa was a victim of caste-based politics coupled with yellow journalism. On the other hand, it also presents that despite the political assassination of Basavalingappa from power, how the Boosa incident gave rise to Dalit consciousness and acted as a prologue to the birth of new Kannada intellectuality.