3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Blast into Ooru's past: A look at Bengaluru's contributions to the Independence movement
When we learn about the Indian Independence movement in school, covering everything from the Revolt of 1857 to the Quit India Movement – we are told the large and sweeping story of the nation. In the middle of learning this national history, most of us never thought of asking about the local one – we hear about Kolkata, Madras, Bombay and Delhi all the time but what was happening in Bengaluru?
According to historians, Bangalore being part of the princely state of Mysore and not directly under British rule somewhat tempered anti-British sentiments in the city for a long time. 'Bangalore had good British administrators like Sir Mark Cubbon and Lewin Bentham Bowring in the 19th century. We also had progressive maharajas from 1881 onwards. So Bangaloreans did not really nurse much antipathy against either the British or the maharajas. It was only in the last decade before independence that the relationship changed somewhat because of the spirit of nationalism that reigned in the country,' explains author Roopa Pai.
Retired professor of history, Jamuna M adds that the maharajas simultaneously maintained a cordial relationship with the Indian National Congress, putting the state and city, in a comfortable spot.
