‘Easier to fight the British than BDA’

‘Easier to fight the British than BDA’
Tuesday December 25 2007 10:03 IST

Bosky Khanna

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BANGALORE: It took only a couple of days for some close associates of the former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to get themselves allotted prized sites in the City.

But it took 30 years of struggle for the freedom fighter N S Puttarudraiah (81) to get a house site in the City.

He was among the 28 freedom fighters who were alloted BDA sites on Monday. Still with his sense of humour intact, Puttarudraiah says: “With the benefit of hindsight, the struggle against Britishers seemed lighter than the struggle of getting a site in the city.”

A resident of Tarikere, Chikmagalur District, he had suffered imprisonment for a-year and- half, from the age of 14 years in many jails, including Chikmagalur, Bangalore Central Jail and Krishnarajapura Military Camp.

He was also a part of the Quit India Movement, Mysore Chalo movement in 1947 and Satyagraha.

Sharing his experience in site-hunting with this website's newspaper , Puttarudraiah said: “The freedom struggle made me proud, but the kind of governments today make me sad.

I shifted my family to Bangalore 50 years ago, and since 30 years I’ve been applying for a site. The struggle has borne fruits but after so many years of bitter struggle,” he says.

In 1972, he was awarded with a bronze certificate for being the leader of Chikmagalur district before independence.

“Late Indira Gandhi, when she had visited Chikmagalur for her election campaign had a w a r d e d me,” he said.

Around 200 people have been conferred with bronze certificates.

Puttarudraiah is the executive member of All India Freedom Fighters Samithi. Nanjundappa wishes to construct his dream home and lead a peaceful retired life with his old friend.”

The site is an asset securing my family’s future. It also helps in uniting my family”, he said.