He is 110-years-old. But he is not tired of speaking about Mahatma Gandhi, the freedom struggle, his experiences in jail and the days when he was awarded the death penalty for killing government officials as part of the struggle. He considers Gandhi as god and sings ballads on him and other leaders.
Freedom fighter Huchcharayappa from Esoor village in Shikaripur taluk, the first village in India to declare independence and form a local government in the 1940s, reminisces the freedom struggle days on this year’s Independence Day.
He is just Class III pass but speaks English, Hindi and Kannada fluently and recalls each and every date. He lost his right eye after a policeman hit him during the struggle, but says, “I lost one eye. My friends lost their lives for our freedom.”
In one of the protests an inspector and Amaldar (administrative officer) insulted freedom fighters; the fighters forced them to wear Gandhi topis. The police lathi-charged us and opened fire. The situation went out of control and the fighters killed the inspector and Amaldar.
Huchcharayappa was arrested and put in Sagar jail. Some 22 fighters were given life imprisonment, while 11, including Huchcharayappa were sentenced to death. “Our advocates went to the High Court where six people were given death penalty and the rest life imprisonment. Judge Yarlu had pronounced the verdict on March 1, 1943. We were released on October 26, 1946, as a daughter was born to the Mysore Maharaja,” says Huchcharayappa.
The veteran freedom fighter adds, “When Gandhi visited Shimoga, I was young. We used to inspire others through ballads, songs and dramas. When Gandhi called for the Quit India movement, we declared Esoor independent. When Gandhi was shot dead, people, including women, committed suicide as they considered him god.’’