TUMKUR,: ‘Swatantrya chowk’ (Freedom Square) in the city has been a living witness to the sacrifice of three youth for self-respect and liberty.
The state was under the Wadiyar’s rule for some time post-independence. It was the ‘Mysore chalo’ movement which proved to be a turning point. Three youth were killed by police in Tumkur on September 14, 1947, as part of the movement.
K C Reddy and others led a movement to end the Wadiyar’s rule in Mysore state and the movement peaked post-independence in September 1947. Although the then king, Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, had announced that his rule would end on August 15, when India got independence, he had been hesitant to take steps to form a civilian government and pass on the baton to people’s representatives.
Leaders and the activists, who lost patience, gave a call for ‘Mysore chalo’ and started organising the people for it. Picketing government offices and hoisting the national flag over them, at various places, were part of their struggle.
The movement gained momentum when students took a plunge into the movement, resulting in conflict with the police at various places.
On September 14, 1947, thousands of activists had gathered at the taluk office in Tumkur and the youth were raring to go for hoisting the tricolour.
In the conflict that resulted, police opened fire on the activists. Three youths died in the incident, which intensified the movement in the region. On October 24, on Vijayadashami Day, Wadiyar conceded to the demands and gave his nod for the formation of a civilian government.
Writer Goruru Ramaswami Iyengar’s elder son, Ramachandra, who was studying at the government junior college in the city, was among those who lost their lives.
Inspired by the call given by the leaders, Ramachandra had been leading the movement from the front as a student leader, according to a personal account by TP Narasimhamurthy, also a freedom fighter. Many of his contemporaries were not sure of the police giving the body of Ramachandra to his family members for cremation. Unconditional apology on behalf of the deceased was the pre-requisite for the body to be given for cremation. But Goruru Ramaswami Iyengar refused to apologise, as he knew that his son had done nothing wrong but fought for liberty.
Etched in time
The two others martyrs were Nanjundappa, son of Muniswamaiah and Gangappa, son of Gangadhara Shastry, whose names too have been inscribed, along with Ramachandra’s name, at the ‘Swatantrya chowk’.
On August 14, 1972, this square was officially renamed ‘Church Square,’ as there is a church affiliated to Church of South India (CSI) and belonging to ‘protestant’ Christians at that place. The church was established in 1848 by John Wesley, a missionary from England.