Category: Freedom Fighters of India

KARNATAKA: 02nd October – Gandhi Jayanti: Badanavalu: Where Gandhjii’s legacy inspires a thriving khadi industry

The rhythmic hum of spinning wheels — Charaka — still reverberates through the air in Badanavalu, a village in Nanjangud Taluk, Mysuru District, that etched its place in history during India’s freedom struggle.

Sanctified by the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi (whose 155th birth anniversary was celebrated yesterday), this humble village embraced his ideals and clung to its legacy of cottage industries, preserving them with pride to this day.

The soft, distant clatter of spinning wheels, tirelessly weaving Khadi threads, echoes through the fields. It was here, following Gandhi’s two iconic visits in 1927 and 1934, that hundreds of women found empowerment, shaping their lives around the art of weaving Khadi.

Gandhi first arrived in 1927, amidst his fight against the Simon Commission. His visit to the Mysore kingdom brought him face-to-face with freedom fighter Tagadur Ramachandra Rao.

Beacon of self-reliance

Upon witnessing the Khadi and Village Industries Centre, established by the Maharaja of Mysore in Badanavalu, Gandhi’s heart swelled with hope. His inspiration spurred the growth of more cottage industries, a movement that would transform the village into a beacon of self-reliance.

To commemorate Gandhi’s visit, a stone was laid at the very spot he set foot, with the inscription ‘Badanavalu Spinning Region.’ This simple act sowed the seeds for the formation of the Badanavalu Khadi Village Industries Cooperative Society.

A stone dating back to 1927, etched with the image of a spinning wheel, still stands as a symbol of his presence. Under local leadership, a bust of Gandhi and a pavilion were erected, with a plaque proudly noting its inauguration by the then Chief Minister, Veerendra Patil.

A hub of rural industry

In 1934, Gandhi returned to the Mysore region as part of his donation campaign for the ‘Harijan Sevak Sangh.’ Seizing the moment, he revisited Badanavalu to check on the progress of the spinning centre he had once inspired.

Following Gandhi’s initial visit, and with the enthusiastic backing of Maharaja of Mysore, Badanavalu blossomed into a hub of rural industry. Matchstick production, hand-made paper crafting, carpentry, blacksmithing, grain processing and making of puffed rice, beaten rice and fibre products were all successfully established.

Additionally, training for rural oil and fibre industries was introduced, creating a vibrant cottage economy that provided employment for around 500 villagers. Locals fondly recall Gandhi’s delight at witnessing the thriving industries during his second visit, a testament to the enduring spirit of self-reliance he had instilled.

Government support

At present, the Khadi industry is the only operational enterprise at Badanavalu, with the centre now under the management of the Khadi and Village Industries Society from Holenarasipura, Hassan district.

Supported by Government incentives, the workers spinning Khadi garments earn Rs. 35 per piece, with an additional Rs. 3 for each spool of thread and Rs. 7 per metre of fabric as bonus wages from the Khadi and Village Industries Board.

On average, women earn between Rs. 150 to Rs. 200 per day, utilising their spare time after household chores to engage in this craft.

Sabarmati Ashram model

The centre, sprawling across 5 acres, is seeing a renewed focus on development. A compound wall is under construction and the Karnataka State Tourism Department, through KRIDL (Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited), is building a structure modelled after the Sabarmati Ashram. The project is well underway.

Plans are also in motion to transform the park into a tribute to Gandhi’s legacy, with statues depicting his Dandi March and other figures emphasising village self-governance and self-reliance.

Meanwhile, the building erected in 1950 on the very spot where Gandhi addressed the villagers in 1927 has fallen into disrepair. Plans are underway to restore this historical structure, preserving it as a monument for future generations to remember and honour Gandhi’s profound connection with the village.

Badanavalu village, nestled in Nanjangud taluk of Mysuru district, is strategically situated along the route from Nanjangud to Chamarajanagar, boasting robust road connectivity.

Earlier Narasambudhi

Notably, railway records refer to this village as Narasambudhi. According to the 2011 census, Badanavalu is home to 632 families, with a population totalling 2,784. While it once drew attention due to caste conflicts, today the village thrives in a spirit of communal harmony.

In his 2024-25 State Budget speech, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, a native of the Mysuru district, unveiled plans to enhance Khadi activities in Badanavalu — an area historically significant for its connection to Mahatma Gandhi.

He also proposed the development of the village as a National Memorial and a dedicated Development Committee has already been established to oversee this initiative.

The Badanavalu centre has attracted numerous dignitaries, including activist Medha Patkar political leaders, Ministers, elected representatives, and a host of film actors, all drawn by the village’s rich heritage and ongoing development.

The original Kannada report, written by D. Ashok Kumar, Deputy Director, Department of Information and Public Relations, Mysuru, was sent to Star of Mysore to be published on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti (Oct. 2).

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: PROJECT DIGITISATION: Close to 12,000 books digitised in Bengaluru for All India Gandhi Library project

The collection, assembled over three months and spanning 12 languages, includes Mahatma Gandhi’s collected works, publications such as Harijan and Young India and audio recordings.

The Servants of Knowledge, a non-profit group, has announced that 11,720 books from the library of Bengaluru’s Gandhi Bhavan have been digitised as part of the All India Gandhi Library project.

The group announced this at the valedictory session of a seminar held on Sunday to mark the 75th year of the Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi Organisation.

According to a statement by the non-profit group, Gandhi Bhavan had already made 1,272 books publicly available online. The freshly digitised collection, assembled over three months and spanning 12 languages, includes the collected works of Mahatma Gandhi, his publications such as Harijan and Young India and audio recordings of him speaking on All India Radio.

The digitised libraries have been presented to 12 Gandhian organisations.

Among the speakers at the seminar was American public domain information advocate Carl Malamud, who is also part of Servants of Knowledge and the founder of the US-based Public.Resource.Org.

“For the last several months, we have been digitising every book here at the Karnataka Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi libraries. Today we are presenting all of those books in digital format to the organisations here, making them the trustees of this knowledge….this is the first release of the All India Gandhi Library. We have offered to digitise at no cost additional Gandhi materials these organisations may possess to add to the collection. We have already assisted the Gandhi Smaraka Nidhis of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh  and we welcome additional materials…..as we say ‘scanning is the new spinning’,” he said at the seminar.

Explaining the digitisation process, Malamud told indianexpress.com later, “We make the scanners and frames here in India and have 17 scanners here at Gandhi Bhavan and can scan 15 lakh pages every month… Once you get good at it, you can do 500 pages in an hour. After the scan, a post-process happens where you crop the pages, de-skew it, run optical character recognition and create a PDF file—a whole chain of processes.”

Explaining the challenges of working with old books in general, Malamud added, “If the material is truly fragile, we work with INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) and they help us conserve the books. The same goes with fragile palm leaves. We’re careful while turning the pages with older books, but if the book is going to disintegrate we have it go through the conservation process.”

About some other work done by the Servants of Knowledge, Malamud said, “Om Shivaprakash (another archivist with the Servants of Knowledge) has been instrumental in finding old Kannada books and gotten permission to digitise old Kannada magazines from publishers…. We’re also working on Lalbagh right now and digitising their library of 6,000 books and digitising old and rare prints. There are all sorts of materials that are on the internet for the first time and that is something we’re particularly proud of.”

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: ARTS & CRAFTS / HANDLOOM: Meet 97-year-old Freedom Fighter Turned Handloom Hero of Kodekal Village Sangappa Mante

From padayatra to trekking, freedom fighter Sangappa Mante from Kodekal village is trying everything to revive the industry.

At the ripe age of 97, Sangappa Mante is on a mission: to save the handloom industry. For more than two decades, the warhorse from Kodekal village of Hunasagi taluk (Yadgir district) has been fighting to protect traditional handloom weaving. He took up a padayatra twice in the past decade, and three years ago, trekked 300km from Kodekal to Kottur in Davanagere district.

Mante, whose family continues traditional handloom weaving, has joined hands with Charaka Movement founder Prasunna, well-known theatre artist-director and activist. Mante has always been a restless soul, having fought for the liberation of erstwhile Hyderabad state from the then Nizam, who had declined to merge with an independent India on August 15, 1947. 

Hyderabad state, comprising 17 districts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, along with Bidar, Kalaburagi and Raichur districts, were part of the erstwhile kingdom and continued to be part of the Nizam’s kingdom after 1947.

In the heady days following Independence, Sardar Veerupakshappa Gowda of Rajankollur village near Kodekal, was a leading figure in the fight against the Nizam’s army (razakars) to liberate erstwhile Hyderabad state. Gowda was soon killed.

Sangappa Mante, Gowda’s close associate, adopted the Gandhian style of resistance against the Nizam, walking around Kodekal village in khadi attire and carrying the national flag to raise awareness on the happenings in the country. His aim was to ignite a sense of patriotism among the villagers. 

He and his friends would shelter activists of liberation movement and place hurdles on the road to prevent the razakars from entering Kodekal village.

The Nizam government arrested Mante in 1948 and put him in Kalaburagi Central Jail for three months for waging war against it. He was released a few months before liberation of erstwhile Hyderabad state, on September 17, 1948.

Ever since, Mante has held khadi dear, and is continuing the fight to revive the dying handloom industry. Yadgir district administration said that Mante is the only surviving activist of erstwhile Hyderabad state liberation movement from Yadgir district.

“The government should do everything possible to protect traditional industries. Instead of giving free grains, money etc, the government should double or treble the wages of artistes, provide materials at subsidised rates, and provide a good market. The government should take steps to popularise products of traditional industries. It will not only save the traditional industry, but also increase employment opportunities and keep youngsters in good health,” he said.

Family bond with handlooms

Sangappa Mante was born on June 25, 1926, in a weaver’s family at Ikkalaki village of Aland taluk in Kalaburagi district. His family later shifted to Kodekal in Yadgir. He started working on handlooms at the age of 16, when his family had only two handloom units.

“There was a lot of demand for khadi and handloom back then, and we used to get sufficient cotton,” said Mante, who went on to increase the number of handloom units from two to 20, from 1942 to 1946.

Until 1960, his family had 22 units. There were 300 families in Kodekal which were involved in weaving, Mante recalls.

After 1960, the number of handloom production units started declining, and now his family has only two units, which are operated by Mante’s three sons. There are hardly 7-8 families who are still involved in traditional weaving, says Mante.

Mante, who is state unit president of the Federation of All-India Handloom Associations, had been invited by the President to participate in a reception for freedom fighters and activists at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 9, 2015.

‘Working on loom better than yoga’
Asked whether he was did yoga or exercise to maintain his health at the age of 97, Sangappa Mante said working on a handloom is a better exercise. We have to use our hands, legs, eyes and mind in coordination, which is a great exercise, he felt.

Roll of honour
Mante received the state-level Deshi Rastriya Kaimagga Prashasti (National Handloom Award) for 2012-13 on December 21, 2014, and Nekara Ratna Award instituted by Karnataka Rajya Nekara Samudayagala Okuta (Federation of Karnataka State Weaving community) on August 7, 2022

A few weeks ago, Yadgir Deputy Commissioner Sushila visited Mante’s house and felicitated him on behalf of the district administration. Sangappa has received an invitation from Kalyana Karnataka Amrit Mahotsava Samiti to receive an award on September 17 in Kalaburagi for his contribution to the liberation movement.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: INDIA’s FREEDOM FIGHTER: Mysuru’s B.S. Ramachandra Rao No More

 B.S. Ramachandra Rao (96), freedom fighter and a resident of Saraswathipuram, passed away here on Wednesday (Aug. 30) night.

A Mechanical Engineer by profession, he had participated in Quit India Movement as a teenager and in the 1946 freedom struggle held at Hassan, he was jailed for flying the Indian flag atop a Police Station.

He is survived by his son Arun Belawadi (President of Rotary Mysore), daughter-in-law, two grandchildren and a host of relatives and friends. Last rites were performed at the foot of Chamundi Hill on Aug. 31.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL/ KARNATAKA: AUGUST 15th, 2023 : Benglauru’s Manekshaw Parade Ground Decks up to Welcome the Nation’s 76th Independence Day 

At 8.58 am on August 15, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will arrive at the Manekshaw Parade Ground, and hoist the Tricolour by 9 am.

 The stage is set for the 76th Independence Day celebration at Manekshaw Parade Ground, which is expected to see around 8,000 people in attendance. Nearly 1,800 police personnel will be deployed to guard the venue. BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath, along with Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda and Deputy Commissioner (Bengaluru Urban) Dayananda KA, inspected the venue and oversaw the final rehearsal of the event on Sunday morning.

Addressing the media on Sunday, Girinath said, “The stage is set for the Independence Day celebration. Around 1,500 children from different schools across the city will be taking part in cultural programmes on Tuesday. For the general public, VIPs and VVIPs and special invitees, 8,000 seats have been arranged to witness the parade.” 

At 8.58 am on August 15, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will arrive at the Manekshaw Parade Ground, and hoist the Tricolour by 9 am. He will get on an open vehicle and receive the guard of honour from various wings of the state police. 

Including the armed platoons of the Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Goa State Police, Karnataka State Reserve Police, and unarmed platoons of Excise, Fire Service, and school groups, a total of 38 platoons, with 1,350 people, will take part in a parade. 

“There will be tight security on Independence Day with 1,786 police personnel on duty. The general public will be allowed to carry only their mobile phones, wallets and handbags (women). Hundred CCTV cameras have been installed to monitor the ground, along with 20 door frame metal detectors. There will be three baggage scanners and 40 hand-held metal detectors,” the police commissioner said.

Articles prohibited
Meanwhile, matchboxes, cigarettes, pamphlets, knives, black cloth, food items, sharp objects, water bottles and cans, firecrackers and explosives, liquor, colour powder, and cameras are prohibited. 

Parking restrictions
Traffic will be diverted from 8 am to 11 am from BRV Junction to Kamaraj Road Junction on Cubbon Road. Further, people are advised not to park around Central Street from Anil Kumble Circle to Shivajinagar Bus Stand, Cubbon Road, from CTO to KR Road and Cubbon Road Junction, and MG Road from Anil Kumble Circle to Queens Circle.

Bannerghatta Park to be open on August 15
The Bannerghatta Biological Park will remain open on August 15. Usually, the zoo, safari and butterfly park are closed every Tuesday, however, the BBP said the park will be closed on August 16, instead of Tuesday.

Teachers, fishermen, artisans from K’taka to witness I-day fete in delhi
Teachers, fishermen, artisans, and beneficiaries of various programmes are among the 31 special invitees from Karnataka who will witness the Independence Day celebrations in New Delhi. The special guests include six teachers, four fishermen, three artisans, three beneficiaries of the Jal Jeevan mission, two each beneficiaries of Amrit Sarovar and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana and representatives of 13 farmer produce organisations in Karnataka. The initiative to invite people from all walks of life from across the country to be a part of the celebrations was taken by the Centre in line with its vision of ‘Jan Bhagidari’, said a statement. Around 1,800 special invitees from across the country will witness the Independence Day celebrations in the national capital, the statement added. 

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: Gandhian, Veteran Freedom Fighter and Rajyothsava Awardee Meerabhai Koppikar of Mudhol, Bagalkot District passes away.

Bommai condoles the death Gandhian Meerabhai Koppikar

Leading Gandhian Meerabhai Koppikar, a close follower and associate of Bhoodan movement leader Vinoba Bhave has expired at her home in Mudhol of Bagalkot district.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has expressed his deep sense of grief and extended condolences on the death of a leading freedom fighter, who had followed Gandhian ideals and philosophy.

The Chief Minister, has in a condolence message, said Meerabhai aged 97 years had practiced simple living, shramdan, dairying and organic farming.

When she was conferred the Rajyothsava award, the Gandhian lady had utilized the amount of the award for the welfare of the poor.

Karnataka has lost a veteran freedom fighter and Gandhian, the chief minister said.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA, FREEDOM FIGHTERS: On the Anniversary of ‘Quit India Movement’ & ‘India’s Independence Day’ the Governor Honours Three Freedom Fighters – H.V. Nagabhushan Rao, R. Narayanappa and Shankaranaraya Rao

On the anniversary of the Quit India Movement and the Amrit Mahotsav of India’s Independence, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Tuesday visited residences of freedom fighters and felicitated them.

Mr. Gehlot visited the residence of H.V. Nagabhushan Rao at Malleswaram in the city and felicitated him with a shawl, Mysore peta, and a bouquet. “I was jailed twice,” Mr. Nagabhushan, 102, said. “The first time was in 1942. Then, in 1947, when we started the fight against colonial British rule”.

Minister for Higher Education C.N. Ashwath Narayan, also the Malleswaram MLA, accompanied Mr. Gehlot.

The Governor also visited 97-year-old freedom fighter R. Narayanappa’s residence at J.P. Nagar. He recalled his teenage days during the freedom struggle. Revenue Minister R. Ashok accompanied the Governor.

In a statement, Mr. Gehlot said no one can appreciate freedom without those who fought for it. “It is our duty to respect and serve all of our freedom fighters and their families for their selfless dedication and sacrifices,” he said.

Mr. Gehlot then visited Shankaranaraya Rao, a 91-year-old freedom fighter residing in Banashankari III Stage. He took part in the Quit India Movement as well as a rally in 1947.

Generally, the State government extends invitations to freedom fighters requesting them to participate in the Independence Day celebrations at Manekshaw Parade Grounds in Bengaluru.

On the same day, in the evening, the Governor has the tradition of hosting high tea at Raj Bhavan for freedom fighters and other dignitaries of the State.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: FREEDOM FIGHTERS: Bidar’s Shaheen Group of Institutions Launches Online Database of Freedom Fighters

Bidar-based Shaheen Group of Institutions has launched a multi media programme to spread awareness about freedom fighters and their contribution to India’s Independence movement. QR codes used to share text,audio and videos.

The school and colleges in the group will share a database on the lives of 100 freedom fighters that includes photos, videos, audios and documents. The sharing will be done online using social media and websites, and offline by attaching Quick Response codes (QR codes) to the images of freedom fighters that are pasted in prominent places across Karnataka.

“We hope to reach at least one crore people with this programme,” Abdul Quadeer, school society chairman, told journalists on August 8 during an exhibition of photographs and images in the park adjoining Shaheen PUC College in Shahapur in Bidar.

Bidar Deputy Commissioner Govind Reddy and Superintendent of Police Dekka Kishor Babu inaugurated the exhibition.

The exhibition will be open till August 10. Each of the 100 photographs has a QR code at the bottom. Scanning the QR code will lead to the data base of text, audio and video clips related to the image in Kannada, English and Urdu languages.

The exhibition has images of Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Bhagat Singh, Sukh Dev, Chandrashekar Azad, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Nana Saheb, Lala Lajpat Rai, Rani Lakshmibai, Tipu Sultan, Hyder Ali, Mirza Khasim Ali Khan, Siraj Ud Daula, Haji Shariatullah, Begum Hazrat Mahal and others.

After the exhibition, the images will be kept in public places around Karnataka.

“Our freedom fighters are already well known. We hope that the exhibition and the online data base will kindle the spirit of the independence movement among the youth and students,” said Dr. Quadeer said.

This exhibition is part of the Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav, which is a celebration 75 years of independence.

The group will promote hoisting of the national flag as part of the Har Ghar Tiranga programme. The group will motivate at least 1,000 students to fly the tricolour in their homes. It aims to distribute 50,000 pocket-size flags and 10,000 hand-held flags among the people.

The activities include essay writing and elocution competitions with a focus on the independence movement.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

* Karnataka’s Republic Day Tableau Steals The Show

From skilfully made pots, carefully sculpted sandalwood miniatures to hand-woven sarees, Karnataka’s rich tradition of handicraft were on grand display at the Republic Day parade in New Delhi’s Rajpath on Jan. 26.

In fact, the Karnataka tableau stole the show with an eye-catching depiction of the land’s cultural icons. A massive Asiatic elephant sculpted out of Mysuru rosewood with ivory inlay carvings, impressive Bidriware, bronze statues and lacquerware toys from Channapatna were the highlights of the tableau which was based on the theme — ‘Karnataka: The Cradle of Traditional Handicrafts’