“I remember that I was part of the Satyagraha that was organised in Bengaluru, a few days after emergency was declared. Atal Ji, Advani Ji and many others were present at the city townhall on June 24, 1975. Even Deve Gowda was present and participated in that Satyagraha. While several underground tasks were being executed by us, RSS also arranged the meeting with George Fernandes.
On November 14, 1975 Satyagraha was organised at several places in the State. Hundreds of Swayamsevaks were arrested and jailed under MISA. The police atrocities on them were inhuman. BV Shesha, Swayamsevak was arrested for participating in the Satyagraha and given third degree torture. Even his driver was arrested and also tortured. Arakali Narayan Ji and HV Sheshadri Ji were instrumental in organising underground activities related to publishing. The police could not trace them for long. Arakali Narayan was arrested later and housed in the Bellary jail. HV Sheshadri ji escaped the eyes of the police and toured all 4 southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka without being detected. He was also entrusted with the task of publications in these states.
Details of Satyagraha and other activities have been mentioned in detail in the Kannada book ‘Bhugilu’ which chronicles the incidents right before the declaration of Emergency, the role of RSS during the period, legal battles and events thereafter.”
Bhugilu meaning flame, was first published in 1977 by Rashtrotthana Sahitya few months after the emergency was lifted. It is a chronicle of the nationwide struggle of the Indians against the tyrannical rule of Indira Gandhi led Congress Government between 1975-77. Shri HV Sheshadri was a Chief Editor of the book. It records the experiences of the swayamsevaks, pracharaks, leaders among the soulful narration of events. It also chronicles the atrocities committed on people in Karnataka and the torments faced by those fighting for democracy. Violence by the state, role of the opposition, subservience of the Communists, protests by the people across the state and country, have all been recorded in this 635 page work. Many contemporary literary figures have opined that ‘Bhugilu’ stands as the greatest book on Emergency in Kannada.
Senior Pracharak Ka Shri Nagaraj was part of the editorial team of this book.
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