Satyagraha movement

From September to November 1939, the Mysore Congress launched a fierce struggle to achieve responsible Government. In accordance with the directions of the working committee of the Mysore Congress, a Satyagraha Camp was declared open in Chitra­durga on 12th September, 1939. Picketing of toddy shops com­menced from the next day. The picketing was very peaceful and orderly. These events were followed by cutting of forest trees at Turuvanur. Shri S. Nijalingappa, Shri Chandur, Shri S. Vasudeva Rao and Smt. Bellary Siddamma and Smt. Nagara-tnamma proceeded from Chitradurga to Turuvanur to organise the Satyagraha and lead the volunteers. Shri Rajashekaraiya Hiromath, who was the first dictator, and four other volunteers from Turuvanur offered Satyagraha by cutting forest trees. Fifteen persons including Shri S. Nijalingappa were arrested and a case under I.P.C. 148, 149, 333, 447 and 420 was filed against them.

In the district, it was the lawyers who first undertook the work of opposing bureaucratic rule and tried to expose the hollowncss of the claims of democratic administration of the Ruler. The Government arrested them and after a trial they were debarred from legal practice. Shri S. Nijalingappa and Shri M. Govinda Roddy, prominent lawyers in the district, were debarred from practice by virtue of a Mysore High Court Judgment delivered in 1940-41.

In the fight for responsible Government, the district had stood in the vanguard and earned the encomium of Indian leaders.

The mass struggle for the attainment of responsible Government in the State went on with unabated vigour from 1937 to 1947, with varied political activities and upsurges and culminated in the final struggle in 1947, after India attained independence. The demand of the Mysore State Congress for the immediate esta­blishment of responsible Government found favour with all sections of the population. During the latter months of 1947, the members of the Mysore Representative Assembly submitted a memorandum to His Highness the Maharaja, asking the ruler to establish popular Government. The final struggle was launched in the first week of September 11947 and ended shortly afterwards, with the release of all Congressmen on 6th October 1947. On the 9th October, the Mysore Congress President met the Dewan, when an agreement was reached. Later on, on the 13th October, the Mysore Congress President and his colleagues in the Working Committee met the Maharaja, when a proclamation was issued ushering in popular rule in Mysore . On the 24th October 1947, Shri K. C. Reddy formed a Government with eight other ministers. As the Constitution of India was in the offing, the Mysore Cons­tituent Assembly which was set up under the agreement got itself converted into a legislative body. With the promulgation of The Indian Constitution, Mysore became a Part "B" State with the Maharaja as the Rajpramukh. With the States' reorganisation in 1950, the State became a Governor's State.

Courtesy : Gazetteer of India, Chitradurga District, 1967.