BENGALURU: 103-year-old freedom fighter HS Doreswamy died here on Wednesday following a cardiac arrest.
In the first week of May, Doreswamy was admitted to Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research (SJICSR) in Bengaluru. He was discharged from the hospital in the second week of May, but was again readmitted due to post-Covid complications.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, a political activist who was close to Doreswamy, Ravikrishna Reddy, said he was in the hospital for the last 12 days. He still had Covid symptoms but his oxygen saturation was maintained and was always between 92 and 97. He was having food till Tuesday.
On Wednesday morning, he started having pain and doctors took him to the ICU where he passed away at 1.20 pm. Cardiologist Dr Manjunath who heads the hospital confirmed it was a cardiac arrest.
Born on April 10, 1918 at Harohalli near Bengaluru, Doreswamy lost his parents when he was five. His grandparents took care of him. After completing his BSc from Central College in Bengaluru, he taught science and mathematics at a high school in Bengaluru. He took part in the Quit India movement and was in jail for 14 months. Post imprisonment, he worked as a journalist.
After independence, he was into activism. He was even sent to jail when he wrote a letter to then PM Indira Gandhi during the Emergency. During the 1980s, he was involved in various movements for the rights of farmers, unorganised sector and other marginalised communities, and later became active in the India Against Corruption movement.
Later, he took part in many protests from the anti-land grabbing movement to the recent anti-CAA laws.
Many dignitaries paid their condolences following his death.