BANGALORE: A tall granite structure steals the sidewalk on Kumara Krupa Road. A spectacled man with a Nehru cap and a respectably grave expression occupies the pinnacle of the granite structure.
The statue is none other than that of Dr N S Hardikar, the founder of Bharat Seva Dal, a secular organisation that practices Gandhian principles.
During the freedom movement of India, NS Hardikar was avidly pursuing a medical degree in the US. But the moment he heard about the freedom struggle in India, he gave up his education and eagerly made his way to his motherland.
He spend his time and energy spreading the philosophy of truth and non-violence that Gandhi believed in and immersed himself in various freedom struggle activities, playing a heroic part in it.
The bold moves that Seva Dal took in the Civil Disobedience Movement is remembered to this day.
elizabeth@expressbuzz.com