Hubballi
Sir Siddappa Kambali, who appointed BR Ambedkar as a professor, served as a Minister in the Bombay Legislative Council. Beyond fighting British rule, he worked tirelessly for the upliftment of the downtrodden and played a key role in establishing Karnatak University, Dharwad. Now, education enthusiasts, elected representatives, and legal professionals are advocating for Karnataka State Law University (KSLU) to be named in his honor.
KSLU is the largest law university in Asia, with 109 affiliated law colleges across Karnataka and over 26,000 students. The university also runs its own law school on the main campus.
Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horattil shared that he raised the proposal with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during his visit to Dharwad on September 15. Kambali, with extensive experience handling seven ministerial portfolios across the Bombay presidency—which included parts of present-day Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, and some areas of Pakistan—organised the first convention for backward communities in July 1920, presided over by Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur in the presence of Siddharoodh Swami. He also served as the first and second President of the Karnataka Ekikaran Parishats and was instrumental in framing laws against caste discrimination.
Shashidhar Todkar, a writer and principal of a PU college in Dharwad, highlighted Kambali’s remarkable journey as a lawyer at a time when the profession was limited to a select community. Despite the potential to earn more, he chose to serve the common people through politics. Coming from a poor family, Kambali continued to live modestly in his small house in Hubballi even after managing seven ministerial portfolios, Todkar added.
