Venkanna H. Naik

Barrister Venkanna H. Naik (1879–1929) from Gonehalli village was a Commissioner of Bijapur District, India,[1] and a Deputy Commissioner of Dharwar District. He instigated several new plans to help sects of Bijapur district who were economically and socially backward.

Venkanna was born to Devamma Venkanna Naik (Gange keri) from Hanehalli.[2] His father Husbu Murkundi Naik was a farmer and a Patel (Village administrator) of Gonehalli village. Venkanna was raised in a village that was, during heavy monsoon, a sleepy village with lush green fields, coconut trees, puddles and ponds. Venkanna attended schools from the neighboring villages Torke and Bankikodla to complete his primary education. Venkanna was headmaster of Kannada a primary school in Torke village. He went to Karwar to pursue his high school diploma (S. S. C.) from the Government High School, Karwar.

In 1906, V. H. Naik completed B.Sc. (Biology) from Elphinstone College, Mumbai. In 1906, Naik went to London to pursue higher education. In 1908 and 1910, he earned B.A. and M.A. from St John's College, Cambridge.

After returning from London, Naik was appointed as a deputy director of Konkan Agricultural Science Department and then as a special assistant registrar of Bombay Revenue Department. In 1918, he visited London to earn Barrister of Lincoln’s Inn. With an internship opportunity, Naik visited government offices in London, and other European nations. After returning to India in 1921, Naik was appointed as a deputy commissioner of Dharwar district and then, in 1925, he was promoted to commissioner of Bijapur district, Karnataka. V. H. Naik instigated several new plans and projects to help sects of Bijapur district who were economically and socially backward. In Bijpur district, a large population belonged to the scheduled castes and to the scheduled tribes.

Naik died at the young age of 50 in Bijapur. In remembrance, after his death, people of Bijpur district built his statue in downtown of Bijapur city. B. V. Naik the son of V. H. Naik and Parwati (his 3rd wife) was a Member of Parliament Fifth Loka Sabha in New Delhi, India. Devaraya Naik, the oldest son of V. H. Naik from his first wife, died in World War II. V. H. Naik was the maternal grandfather of Dilip, a professor at Northwestern University.

References
  1. Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona. vol. 9. Poona: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. 1928. pp. xvii.
  2. SAPA. P. Gaonkar's personal pages in Kannada language
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