Belgaum: It’s not just the 70th year of India’s Independence, but also the 93rd anniversary of the famous Congress plenary session presided over by the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi in Belagavi in 1924,which gave momentum to the country’s freedom struggle.
While stalwarts like Motilal Nehru, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Sarojini Naidu were present on the occasion, so was renowned freedom fighter, the late R H Kulkarni from Belagavi, along with a number of other freedom fighters from the region. His son, and businessman, Subhash Kulkarni, recalls that although freedom fighters of Bijapur, Ankola, Bangalore and Mysore had vied to hold the 39th Congress Plenary Session it was Gangadhar Rao Deshpande, a freedom fighter from Belagavi who was able to convince Gandhiji to hold it in Belagavi.
But reeling under a severe water crisis, it had a serious challenge to ensure supply of drinking water to a mammoth 70,000 people, who were expected to attend the session.
Not giving up, the local freedom fighters decided to construct a huge well, Pampasarovara, later called Congress Well, to provide water to the delegates. When all preparations were made, it was decided to name the venue of the conference (now Tilakwadi) ‘Vijayanagara’ in memory of the great empire.
On arriving at the Belgaum railway station to attend the session, Mahatma Gandhi was accorded a grand welcome and taken in procession to Tilakwadi, the venue of the session.
Incidentally, even as the session was being held, the Hindalga Central Prison in Belagavi was full of freedom fighters. To keep memories of the historic session alive, the district administration built a monument ‘Veerasoudha’ a decade ago at its venue.
Today, thanks to the contribution of freedom fighters and senior citizens, a number of photographs taken during the session are displayed at the soudha. They include a picture of Mahatma Gandhi assuming charge as chairman of the session.
