The expression on the faces of these octogenarians who once took on the might of British Raj said it all, that it has been a long wait.
As they lined up to receive their BDA site allotment letters from Governor Rameshwar Thakur on Monday, the 21 freedom fighters gave an indication that fighting the British was much easier than getting these sites allocated.
Narrating their experience on how they fought the enemy and the hardships they faced everyday, the freedom fighters said that though the allotment of 30X40 feet sites at BTM Layout, 6th Stage has come late, it still meant a lot to them.
For, 99-year-old Basappa N Shirura, who was jailed between 1939 and 1942 for participating in the Non-Cooperation Movement at his native Kalaburgi in Bijapur district, the wait has been well worth it.
“Apart from the pension of Rs 13,000 that we receive there is not much that the Government has done for us. It is a good gesture for them to honour us with this site,” he said.
Recalling his participation at the 1942 Quit India Movement and how he was part of the team which blew up a bridge on Harihara-Shimoga Road, N M Chandrashekariah, said the site allotment had come after a number of appeals to the government.
Expressing similar views, Anandappa, an old-time Bangalorean recalled the nightmarish experience he spent in jail for reciting Vande Mataram in the Cubbonpet area way back in 1943.
“This site means a lot to me and my four sons who do not have permanent jobs,” said the 88-year-old freedom fighter who had suffered from bullet wounds on his wrists.
However, it was not a happy occasion for all. Many of them criticised the government and the BDA for not allotting them sites despite they possessing the necessary documents and credentials for the site allotment.
“I languished three years in jail, but there are many here who spent two or three months in jail and they have received allotment letters at my cost,” said KS Rajappa, president, All India Freedom Fighters Samithi.