‘Bengaluru ‘47: Forgotten Stories of Freedom’ will be held at RBANM’s High School from August 14 to 23
After leaders of the Indian freedom movement adopted the Swaraj Flag featuring the charkha in 1931, the colonial government banned it’s carrying and hoisting. In an act of defiance, freedom fighters across the country hoisted the flag. In Karnataka, N.V. Krishnamachari was a prominent figure in the flag resistance. Despite a brutal lathi charge by British forces on protesters during the satyagraha, Krishnamachari continued to carry the flag defiantly.
A photo of the bloodstained flag, which is today housed at Vidhana Soudha, will be showcased at “Bengaluru ‘47: Forgotten Stories of Freedom”, an exhibition that will be held at RBANM’s High School from August 14 to 23. The exhibition, organised by the INTACH Bengaluru Chapter, together with RBANM’s Educational Charities, #ReclaimConstitution, and 1Shanthiroad, will showcase artefacts related to the Indian freedom movement and highlight lesser-known stories of Bengaluru’s role in the freedom struggle.
Bengaluru’s role in freedom struggle
“Ordinary Bengalureans participated in the freedom movement in several ways — from massive protests by students, workers, and others; to buying khadi and burning foreign-made cloth; to calling for the entry of all castes into temples; to printing and distributing pamphlets. Through interviews, archival newspaper clippings, maps, pamphlets, and other materials, this exhibition provides a glimpse of the atmosphere on the streets of Bengaluru, and an insight into the lives of people who experienced those tumultuous times,” the organisers said.
The exhibition will feature several artefacts, including a facsimile of S.K. Kareem Khan’s autobiographical note, in which he recounts the freedom struggle in Karnataka and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. It will also display a Tamra Patra (copper plate), charkhas belonging to N.V. Krishnamachari, and a photograph of his bloodstained flag.
As part of the event, a spinning workshop will be held on August 16 by The Art of Spinning. Other events include a storytelling session for adults on August 18 by Vikram Sridhar, a talk by historian Ramachandra Guha titled “R. Gopalaswamy Iyer and Dalits in Princely Mysore” on August 19, and an evening with T.M. Krishna on August 22.
Midnight flag hoisting
The RBANM’s High School grounds will also witness the fourth edition of the Midnight Flag Hoisting on August 15, organised by #SatyamevaJayate, a collective of progressive artists and citizens.
“Hoisting the flag at midnight on August 15 was a tradition followed by freedom fighters since 1947, and in Bengaluru, Sajjan Rao Circle and Mysore Bank Circle were traditionally the spots for midnight flag hoisting. #SatyamevaJayate wants to keep this tradition alive after having revived it in 2023,” the organisers said.
The run-up to the flag hoisting will feature performances by artists including Scyrn (heavy metal), Alva Kuuto (Tulu rock), Navya Rudrappa (sitar), Dr. Haider Saif (poetry and Sufi), and Punit Pania (stand-up comedy). The students of RBANM’s institutions will present performances that capture the school’s connection to the freedom struggle movement in Bengaluru.
The entry to the event is free and open to all, starting at 5 p.m. on August 14, and will conclude with the hoisting of the flag at the stroke of midnight on August 15.
A counter to RSS
“Soon after Independence, the RSS wanted to hold a mega conclave. However, they did not find any takers until the Mysore Congress Council of Ministers stepped in. In the mega rally that took place in Bengaluru, then chief of the Hindu Mahasabha B.S. Moonje abused Gandhiji in indescribable language. Not one Congressman objected, except Roomale Channabasappa, who wrote a strongly worded response to Moonje’s vitriolic speech. It was shortly after the RSS rally that Gandhiji was assassinated.”
This revealing passage is an excerpt from an autobiographical note written by S.K. Kareem Khan, a freedom fighter and folklorist from Karnataka, who passed away 20 years ago in 2006. The note will be on display at ‘Bengaluru ‘47’.
“Worried about the negative impact casteist forces were having on the minds of young people, Dr. (Narayan Subrao) Hardikar set out to revive the Congress Seva Dal. He was supported by Rumale Channabasappa, T. Siddalingaiah, Kareem Khan, Haranahalli Ramaswamy, and Sardar Venkataramayya,” his note further reads.
Khan, who was born in Sakleshpur, joined the Indian freedom movement and, deeply inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, wore khadi till the end of his life. Along with N.V. Krishnamachari, he participated in the Shivapura Dhwaja Satyagraha in 1938, where, defying British orders, the National Flag was hoisted. Khan used folklore and folk songs to mobilise people, especially the rural masses, for the cause of the freedom struggle.
While he always exhorted Indian Muslims to join the Indian National Congress instead of the Muslim League, his notes show how, ironically, after Independence, the Congress alienated the four Muslim leaders who had fought for freedom alongside them, and instead embraced leaders from the Muslim League. Despite that, he worked as a foot soldier of the party and campaigned for Congress leaders in the first election of 1952, going from village to village.
source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)