H. S. Doreswamy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
H. S. Doreswamy
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Doreswamy in September 2014
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| Born |
Harohalli Srinivasaiah Doreswamy
10 April 1918 Harohalli, Kingdom of Mysore, British Raj
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| Died | 26 May 2021 (aged 103) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Education | B.Sc |
| Alma mater | Central College, Bangalore |
| Known for | Freedom fighter |
| Movement | Indian independence movement |
| Spouse(s) |
Lalithamma
(m. 1950–2019) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Basava Puraskara Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards |
H. S. Doreswamy (born April 10, 1918 – died May 26, 2021) was an Indian journalist and activist. He was a brave freedom fighter who worked to make India independent from British rule. He lived to be over 100 years old! Doreswamy also ran a publishing house called Sahitya Mandira. He published a newspaper named Pauravani that supported Indian independence. A famous historian called him the "conscience of Karnataka" because he always fought for what was right.
Contents
Growing Up and School
Doreswamy was born in a village called Harohalli. This village was part of the Kingdom of Mysore back then. It was a princely state under the British Raj. His parents passed away when he was five years old. His grandfather, Shamanna, then raised him.
His grandfather was a village accountant. He was also a member of the local assembly. Doreswamy had an older brother named Seetharam. Seetharam later became the mayor of Bangalore. Doreswamy finished his early schooling in his village. Then, he moved to Bangalore for higher studies. He went to the Government Intermediate College. Later, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Central College of Bangalore.
Fighting for Freedom
After finishing college in 1942, Doreswamy started teaching. He taught math and physics at a high school in Bangalore. In August 1942, the Quit India Movement began. This was a big movement to make the British leave India. Doreswamy joined the movement.
He helped set up small time bombs. These bombs were placed in postboxes and record rooms. The goal was to burn official documents. This would disrupt the British government's work. He also helped organize protests and strikes in Mysore State. He worked with N.D. Shankar, a union leader. They organized a 14-day strike at three textile mills. About 8,000 workers joined this strike. Many other factories and mills also went on strike.
In 1943, Doreswamy was arrested. One of his bomb suppliers was caught by the police. This person told the police about Doreswamy. Doreswamy was held in Bangalore Central Jail. He was kept there without a trial. Many other political prisoners were also in the jail. His brother, H.S. Seetharam, was there too.
Doreswamy said the prison became a place of learning. He studied and played volleyball with other prisoners. He learned to speak Tamil and Hindi from them. On January 26, 1944, the prisoners celebrated India's independence. For this, the guards beat them and denied them food. Doreswamy was released in the summer of 1944. He had spent 14 months in jail.
After his release, Doreswamy opened a publishing house. It was called Sahitya Mandira in Bangalore. Later, he moved to Mysore. He took over a newspaper called Pauravani. This newspaper was losing money. In 1947, India was becoming independent. The Maharaja of Mysore did not want to join India right away. This led to the "Mysore Chalo" movement.
During this time, many leaders were arrested. The government also stopped newspapers from publishing freely. But Doreswamy and other journalists kept publishing their papers. They printed them from secret locations. Pauravani was an Indian nationalist newspaper. It was published from Hindupur, a city near Mysore. Doreswamy said a teacher helped him share the newspaper. Famous writers like R. K. Narayan also visited his bookstore.
After India's Independence
After India became independent, Doreswamy continued his activism. In the 1950s, he joined the Bhoodan movement. This movement encouraged rich landowners to donate land to the poor. He also worked for the Unification of Karnataka. This movement aimed to bring all Kannada-speaking regions together.
In 1975, he was jailed for four months. He had written a letter to Indira Gandhi. He criticized her for acting like a dictator. This was during a time called the Emergency in India. He was also active in the JP Movement. This movement was against the Emergency rule. In the 1980s, he fought for farmers' rights. He also helped other communities who were struggling. Later, he joined the India Against Corruption movement.
In his later years, Doreswamy worked on many issues. He protested against people taking over water bodies. He also fought against dumping garbage near poor areas. His activism helped build six new waste processing plants in Bangalore. This happened in 2014. In October 2014, he led a protest in Bangalore. He demanded that the Land Grabbing Prohibition Act be used. This protest lasted 38 days. The government finally agreed to his demands.
In 2016, he started a continuous protest. He sat outside the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha. He demanded that land be given to landless people. The Chief minister, Siddaramaiah, had to promise him that this would happen. He also protested against removing adivasis (tribal people) from their lands.
Doreswamy also took part in the 2019–2020 protests in India. He believed that India's democracy was in danger. He felt the government was acting like the British Raj. Some politicians criticized him for this. They said he was against the country.
Personal Life
In 1950, Doreswamy married Lalithamma. She was 19 years old at the time. They had two children together. Lalithamma passed away on December 17, 2019. She was 89 years old. H. S. Doreswamy died on May 26, 2021. He passed away due to a heart attack.
Awards and Recognition
- 2017 – He received the Gandhi Seva Award. This award honored his great service to poor people. The Chief Minister of Karnataka gave him this award.
- 2018 – He was given the Basava Puraskara. This is a national award from the Government of Karnataka.
- 2019 – He received the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards. This was a Lifetime Achievement award for his work in journalism.
See also
In Spanish: H. S. Doreswamy para niños
