The Hindu : Karnataka / Mysore News : When students took lead in Quit India Movement

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 09, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mysore

When students took lead in Quit India Movement

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, AUG. 8. An eventful chapter in India's freedom struggle — the Quit India Movement — the anniversary of which is observed on August 9, calls for reminiscence of the qualities and sacrifices of a generation that is fast fading from our midst.

Reckoned to be the last great upheaval before India attained independence, the Quit India Movement animated the nation and highlighted how areas such as Mysore, which were remote from the mainstream struggle, could galvanise themselves into action.

It is pertinent to note that the region was under the administration of the Wadiyars of Mysore and this had a cushioning effect on the people's wrath against the British misrule elsewhere. But the Quit India Movement generated nationalistic sentiments and evoked spontaneous response from the public, notably the student community in Mysore, the kind of which was not witnessed earlier in the erstwhile Mysore State.

The ground for stoking the nationalistic fervour was, however, painstakingly prepared by a generation of activists committed to freedom struggle and which worked silently at the grassroots level. One such personality was Tagadur Ramachandra Rao, who started the Khaddar Sahakara Sangha in 1925. When Ramachandra Rao was arrested for opposing the visit of the Simon Commission to India in 1928, he became the first political prisoner in Mysore State.

Hoisting Tricolour

As a result of such activism, the demand for a responsible Government caught the imagination of the people and led to the formation of the Mysore State Congress, which came into being in May 1928. The Tricolour was hoisted by M.N. Jois and L.V. Rajagopal on January 26, 1930 as per the directives of the All India Congress Committee and N.D. Srirangachar founded the Mysore City Vidyarthi Sangha to mobilise the youth for national work which sent jitters among the authorities.

Students' involvement

As the nationalistic sentiments began to increase among the students, the authorities in Mysore issued an order barring students failing in their annual examinations, from attending classes for a second year. But seeds of nationalism had been sown deep and strong.

So when the Quit India Movement was launched on the midnight of August 9 and leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi were put behind bars, the student community in Mysore boycotted classes and took to the streets.

Students take lead

But this only fuelled the agitators and the student community took over and boycotted classes and organised public meetings, which became the focal point for future agitations in freedom struggle in Mysore. More than 10,000 people attended a rally on August 12 and the office bearers for the "Corps of Students" were appointed to lead the agitation. The Maharaja's College Hostel was termed "Swarajya Bhavan" and became the "headquarters" of the movement and witnessed student leaders such as H.Y. Sharada Prasad, K.S. Abdul Gaffoor and Henry Devidas, among others.

Poor attendance

As the students role gained prominence, the authorities thought it fit to put them back in class in a bid to end the strike and dispatched four buses to various city extensions. But only seven cared to board them.

When the agitation was withdrawn and the Government adopted a conciliatory approach towards the students, the latter vowed to engage themselves in social and constructive work to strengthen nationalistic force. So, when the surviving members of the generation which participated in the Quit India Movement in Mysore assemble to observe the 62nd anniversary on Monday, would the present generation take a similar vow to rededicate itself to the task of national reconstruction?

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