Centenarian freedom fighter who spoke truth to power
Harohalli Srinivasaiah Doreswamy was 24 years old and just taken up a new job as a schoolteacher when he was first arrested and imprisoned for 17 months for organising strikes against the British government.
His second visit to prison was at the age of 57 when he took on then prime minister Indira Gandhi during the
BENGALURU:
emergency.
Doreswamy has never held any political position and was the driving force behind several people’s movements in the state of Karnataka, often leading from the front, even at the age of 102.
The man, known as the conscience keeper of Karnataka, as someone who always spoke for the people, regardless of the party in power, passed away at the age of 103 on Wednesday following a cardiac arrest, just days after recovering from Covid-19. His mortal remains will be cremated with state honours, said the Karnataka government.
Born on April 10, 1918, in Harohalli village in the then princely state of Mysore, Doreswamy was raised by his grandfather and his mother as his father died when he was five years old.
He was first drawn towards the radical movement against the British government. With help of a friend, he began planting bombs in government offices and postal boxes. “Our aim was not to harm anyone, but we wanted to disrupt the government machinery,” he told HT during an interview on February 18.
His life took a turn in 1936 when Mahatma Gandhi came visiting. Doreswamy met him at Nandi hills where the father of the nation was stay