Harohalli Srinivasaiah Doreswamy (Aged 103) was an Indian journalist and activist, born on April 10, 1918. He was a member of the Indian independence movement. After completing his education in June 1942, he started teaching mathematics and physics at a high school in Bangalore. In August, during the Quit India Movement, he got involved in setting up small-scale time bombs in postboxes and record rooms to burn official documents as a method to disrupt the functioning of the British Raj.
Along with his associates, he organized protests and general strikes in Mysore State. He collaborated with N.D. Shankar, a freedom fighter and communist union leader, in organizing a 14-day general strike at three textile mills, namely Raja, Minerva, and Binny Mills, which saw the participation of 8,000 workers.
In 1943, one of his bomb suppliers, named Ramachandra, was caught by the police with time bombs in his possession, and he named Doreswamy as a contact. Consequently, he was arrested and put under indefinite detention in Bangalore Central Jail. He described the prison as a place of learning, where he studied and played volleyball with other prisoners. During this time, he learned to speak Tamil and Hindi from other independence movement activists.
On January 26, 1944, the prisoners, including him, were beaten up by the guards, confined to their rooms, and denied food for celebrating the declaration of Purna Swaraj. He was later released in the summer of 1944 after spending 14 months in jail, at a time when the government was releasing political prisoners. He passed away on May 26, 2021.
H. S. Doreswamy
(1918 – 2021) – (Karnataka)
Harohalli Srinivasaiah Doreswamy (Aged 103) was an Indian journalist and activist, born on April 10, 1918. He was a member of the Indian independence movement. After completing his education in June 1942, he started teaching mathematics and physics at a high school in Bangalore. In August, during the Quit India Movement, he got involved in setting up small-scale time bombs in postboxes and record rooms to burn official documents as a method to disrupt the functioning of the British Raj.
Along with his associates, he organized protests and general strikes in Mysore State. He collaborated with N.D. Shankar, a freedom fighter and communist union leader, in organizing a 14-day general strike at three textile mills, namely Raja, Minerva, and Binny Mills, which saw the participation of 8,000 workers.
In 1943, one of his bomb suppliers, named Ramachandra, was caught by the police with time bombs in his possession, and he named Doreswamy as a contact. Consequently, he was arrested and put under indefinite detention in Bangalore Central Jail. He described the prison as a place of learning, where he studied and played volleyball with other prisoners. During this time, he learned to speak Tamil and Hindi from other independence movement activists.
On January 26, 1944, the prisoners, including him, were beaten up by the guards, confined to their rooms, and denied food for celebrating the declaration of Purna Swaraj. He was later released in the summer of 1944 after spending 14 months in jail, at a time when the government was releasing political prisoners. He passed away on May 26, 2021.
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