CHIKKAMAGALURU: Revolutionists of Issur in Shikaripur taluk of Shivamogga district raised the banner of revolt against the British by hoisting the tricolour atop a temple on September 27, 1942 — the first ever in the country — and announced self-declared Independence.
Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s call for ‘British, Quit India’, the people of this tiny village carved a dot for themselves in the map of the country’s freedom struggle. The historic temple was Veerabhadreashwara temple.
The villagers gave a clarion call to the British declaring ‘Usiru Kottaruu; Eesuru Kodevu’ (We will give our life but not Issur). This irked the white rulers. Hundreds of villagers went underground, modesty of women was outraged and some revolutionists were hanged. Some freedom fighters were arrested and some were given life sentence. Fighters like K Guruppa, Mallappa, Halappa and Suryanarayana Achar were hanged in 1943. The tomb built in the village to commemorate the martyrs stands tall even today.
95-year-old Gangaiah Hegde from Chikkamagaluru, who was part of the revolt, narrated the events to Express.
“Back then, the students’ and lawyers’ organisation was strong. When the British attempted to capture Issur in 1942, the villagers tied and killed the police inspector and the Amaldar under the British rule, who came to study the situation in the village,” he said.
“The British then unleashed violence on the villagers. The brutal killings are still etched in my memory. Malnad youths, including me, were led by Makonahally M U Chandre Gowda and Bhoopalam Chandrashekar. We took part in the movement and were inspired by the speeches of Kadidal Manjappa and S V Krishna Murthy,” he said.
G H Halappa Gowda, an associate of Hegde, said that the governments have been urged to observe Issur Martyrs’ Day on September 27 every year.