Although the contribution of Karnataka in the freedom movement has been yeoman and the associated memories with it many, when it comes to Bangalore, the IT city of the country, not many landmarks or historical spots comes to mind. Even today, people recall the brave exploits of Kittur Rani Chennamma or the guerilla tactics of Sangolli Rayanna but when it comes to remembering the contribution of those thousands of freedom fighters, not many are aware of their sacrifices or the various landmarks in the city associated with the independence movement.
However, one should remember that ‘Karnataka’ was not a single entity those days but scattered in more than 20 different kingdoms, administrative divisions and provinces.
When one thinks about India’s freedom struggle and the various agitations like the Non-cooperation movement, the Quit India movement, Civil Disobedience movement and the Khilafat movement which had its impact on day-to-day life in Belgaum, Bijapur, Hubli-Dharwar, Gulbarga and other districts, it was these places which took the lead and bore the brunt of the brutality and oppression by the British. But at the same time, Bangalore too participated in the independence movement, in a small way.
Unlike other parts of Karnataka, Bangalore was under the rule of the erstwhile Mysore Wodeyar dynasty while two thirds of the present Karnataka state was outside this rule. Undeveloped, economically neglected and backward, the freedom movement which started in the north Karnataka regions (initially as a protest against the misrule of the British and the Nizams) was more violent and volatile.
For freedom fighters in Karnataka, the motivation to fight was not just independence for India but also a chance to fulfil their dreams of building a united Karnataka. In 1903, for the first time, Alur Venkata Rao made a case for integrating all Kannada speaking regions and later founded the Kannada Sahitya Parishad in Bangalore in 1915. During the Home Rule Movement, Aluru also floated the idea of a Karnataka ‘Provincial’ unit of the Indian National Congress. This took in the shape form of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.
It was the Gandhian Era (1920-48) and Mahatma Gandhi’s call for non-cooperation that triggered the peace loving citizens of Bangalore to boycott schools, colleges, courts and come out with underground newspapers, take part in rallies, processions and protests.
