Hyderabad Liberation - 7 |
 |
Hyderabad Liberation - 7 |
|
|
Home |
Part VII As we read in earlier article, the Hyderabad Karnataka Congress was operating from Gadag and had leaders like Mr.Janaradhana Desai, Mr.Kollur Mallappa, Mr.Raghavendra Jagirdar and others. The success of the fight for liberation of Hyderabad - esp. the victory at Kukunur, the growing popularity of the youths and the personal interest and support given to this fight by Sardar Patel, should have been welcomed by these congressmen. Instead, they feared that they would be sidelined and lose thier importance and hence put up a plan of action. These congress leaders submitted a memorandum to the District collector of Raichur and the police chief which stated that the youths who ransacked Kukunur police station were criminals and there was every possibility that they will use the looted fire arms to commit dacoity, murder and arson in the villages. Hence in interest of the public, all the youths involved in so called fight for liberation of Hyderabad must be immediately arrested and all thier leaders must be severely punished!! But the District collector of Dharwad supported the youths and advised the District collector of Raichur to ignore this memorandum submitted by the congress leaders. Incensed by this, the congress leaders rushed to Mumbai and met the Home minister Mr.Morarji Desai ( who was later the prime minister of India) and urged him to take action as per thier memorandum. Its strange that Mr.Morarji Desai, who claimed to be a true disciple of Gandhiji, blindly accepted the memorandum by the congress leaders and instructed the District collector of Raichur to immediately arrest the youths in Mundargi Camp and other camps and severely punish thier leaders!! Over joyed by thier success, the congress leaders returned back home but justice was in favour of the youths. Shri.Ramanand Theertha was released from prison and planned a visit to Gadag and the mundargi youth camps. He announced his support for the fight for liberation of Hyderabad and decided to involve himself in this struggle along with his supporters. Just 2 days before Shri.Ramanand Theertha reached Gadag, the Raichur District collector passed the order to arrest the youths and to shoot at sight - if any resistance was encountered!! But Fouzdar Shri.Hebsur, brought the news to Mundargi camp and told Shri.Puranik that " such orders have been given and the police along with the District Collector and the local congress leaders are coming here. So ensure that the entire camp is vacated immediately" Two lorries were mobilized and all the arms and the youths were loaded to the same and transported to safer place - to Vadnatti Hills. Shri.Puranik stayed back because he wanted to save youths in other camps. With scant respect for his personal safety, he ran four miles through fields and reached Hosur. On reaching Hosur, he took the fifty plus youths in this camp and began to cross the Tungabhadra River. By the same time, the police jeeps reached the River banks as well. Risking thier lives and avoiding the bullets fired by the police, these brave youths crossed the river and reached the other bank of Tungabhadra River. Now they had entered the Madras province and the Nizam police could not enter the Madras province without permission from the Madras province authorities. But Shri.Puranik would not rest for a while also. He knew that about 30 youths from Tambralli youth camp, would be leaving by train to Gadag via Hospet and they were leaving to welcome Shri.Ramanand Theertha at Gadag and the police would not spare them. Tambralli is about 20 miles from Hosur and Shri.Puranik decided to run this entire distance!!! It was 6pm in evening when a tired Shri.Puranik reached Tambralli camp. The youths were prevented from leaving to Gadag and all of them were dumbstruck by the courage of Shri.Puranik. I have met some of them who recall the event very vividly and describe how the bleeding feet of Shri.Puranik displayed the torture that he under went to run all the way and save them. " He was exhausted, had lost lot of blood but was smiling because we were prevented from arrest or for that matter - sure death. We have seen god in him, in our life. " - say his colleagues and thier eyes grow moist in pain. ! |
| -Basavaraj Koppal |