Remembering Nethaji's visit to Kadur

The picture of freedom struggle is still vivid in the mind of Venkatesh Iyengar. He was only 11 years old, when Nethaji Subhash Chandra Bose had arrived at Kadur in 1933.

Going down the memory lane, Iyengar fondly recollects, “Bose was clad in military attire. He had a half topi on his head and was wearing a cooling glass. The way he spoke...those words... it was like a roar. I can not forget his speech even to this day. I feel as though I heard him yesterday,” says Iyengar.

Venkatesh Iyengar, a resident of Macheri village, had heard Bose’s speech behind the Chathra street ground.

“I was only 11 then. Freedom struggle had picked up the pace. I used to go to any meeting on freedom movement as they used to distribute pepper mint after the meeting. When I got to know that Nethaji was going to visit Kadur, I along with T V Srinivas went there. Nethaji had arrived in a train. He was accompanied by Captain Lakshmi of the Indian National Army, Golwalkar from Hindu Mahasabha, B G Kher and Bhopalam R Chandrashekharaiah.

Iyengar told Deccan Herald that he also remembers the visit of Veer Savarkar. “We used to purchase news papers like Tarun Bharath, Harijana, Vishwakarnataka. My sister-in-law used to read them loud for us.

Subhash Chandra Bose in his speech had said that India will not gain independence just by peace or Satyagrah. But he asked every Indian to retaliate to British. He had asked the gathering to sign a petition in blood. And many people in Kadur had followed his words and signed in their blood,” Iyengar recalls.

Recalling Captain Lakshmi’s visit, he said that she was like a tigress. Her every cell wanted India to be free from foreigners. She had then sung a Hindi patriotic song which was translated into Kannada, Iyengar said.