Movements for nation’s good must not stop: 99-year-old freedom fighter to Gen Z

It was 1942. YC Revanna, then 15 years old, leaped out of his school window along with his classmates and friends, joining the Quit India movement. They believed they were part of something greater, something capable of driving the British out of their homeland. Now 99 years old, Revanna, one of Mysuru's last two surviving registered freedom fighters, believes the leaders of the time, including Devaraj Urs, S Nijalingappa, and MN Jois, inspired them to participate.

"The leaders we had were very promising," he says, explaining how they felt the significance of freedom and their role in achieving it. Revanna, who will turn 100 next year, hopes to hoist the national flag at Mysuru’s Freedom Fighters’ Park or Subbarayanakere Park on Independence Day. Even after 79 years of freedom, he believes our country still has a long way to go.

"Swarajya was just a part of Indian movements. The youth must continue to organise and agitate till we attain Ramarajya," he stresses. Revanna served as president of the Mysore freedom fighters’ association during its prime, when it had 145 registered members. Today, only he and Male Gowda remain to recall the impact of the Quit India movement.

Revanna's first protest experience in 1942 had severe consequences. During that time, the British Police arrested and jailed leaders and protesters aged 18 and above. However, minors faced a different fate. If caught, they were abandoned in forests, hoping they would lose their way. In Mysuru, the forest where they were abandoned was 'Kakana Kote', now part of the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve.

After being detained, Revanna and his friends were similarly abandoned. "The first time I got arrested with my friends, we were taken deep into the forest and left in the pitch-dark night," he recalls. In the second instance, even minors were not spared from jail. Despite this, Revanna continued to attend protests. "That time, the police were waiting for us, ready to put us in prison, but that didn't stop us from fighting for Indian independence," he says with a smile.

After matriculation, Revanna was admitted to Class 11 but chose to skip school to participate in the independence movement, following Mahatma Gandhi's teachings. Born in Hale Yedathore, 45 km from Mysuru, Revanna grew up hearing about the freedom struggle. At seven, he witnessed Mahatma Gandhi's visit to Mysore in January 1934, and his ideas and philosophies stayed with him.

After school, Revanna sharpened his political ideas and eventually joined the independence movement. On August 15, 1947, when India finally gained independence, Revanna, like many others, celebrated. However, the work was not yet complete. Just days before Independence, Jayacharamaja Wodeyar, the then king of the Princely State of Mysore, signed the Instrument of Accession to join the Indian Union.

He did not readily agree to a democratically accountable state government. In response, the Mysore State Congress, led by KC Reddy, launched a satyagraha on September 1, 1947, named 'Mysore Chalo', inspired by Subhas Chandra Bose’s 'Delhi Chalo'. Revanna also participated in the march, leading a padayatra of nearly 1,000 youths in KR Nagar, covering 45 km before being arrested mid-way.

He was released only after the Maharaja conceded to an interim government on September 24, 1947. Post-retirement, Revanna worked as a government school teacher until 1983, continuing to write and participate in agitations and social work. He remains active in raising awareness about the significance of freedom and the need for societal progress.

Currently, living a quiet life in Sharadadevi Nagar, Mysuru, Revanna's health has deteriorated since his wife Kamalamma passed away last year. Yet, his spirit of dissent remains unbroken. "Be it the British or the people in power today," he declares.