Mallagamba performers drew a big round of applause at the Independence Day celebrations at Manekshaw Parade Grounds in Bengaluru on Saturday (Photo: Satish B.)
 "Freedom came with a price: Veterans")
Bengaluru: “Freedom definitely came with a price, many lives were lost too,” observed 91-year-old Ho Srinivasaiah, a Gandhian who took part in the freedom struggle. But he is quick to add “Me and my fellow Gandhians would any day choose to be free than spend our lives as slaves.”
Srinivasaiah, who later penned down Jagat Pradakshine to record his experiences during the freedom struggle, said it was an emotional experience. While celebrating the country’s 69th independence day at Sankey Tank, he said the works on the life and struggles of Gandhiji should be propagated to a wider audience.
Another freedom fighter Sadashiva Rao Bhosle (95) said, “Freedom had a different meaning. It was about having our own rules and laws in our own homeland and not made by any foreigner. The idea was to make our own laws to help our country grow. We were born free,” he said. Bhosle joined the movement at the age of 22. “I was 22 then. Myself and my friends had only one goal in life to get freedom no matter what. And, our discussions revolved around how to get the country out of gulaam (slavery).”
Regarding his ideology Bhosle said, “I was a firm believer of Gandhian ideology and used to wear only Khadi. But the most important part was we all knew that even after we get the country free we would have a lot of work and roadblocks ahead of us.”
The 95-year-old said after independence, he and his friends struggled for eight years for farmers’ rights and moved from village to village to campaign against liquor shops.
