The commemoration of freedom fighter Subedar Guddemane Appaiah Gowda was held near his statue in Madikeri on Saturday. The programme was organised by the district administration, the Department of Kannada and Culture and the Karnataka Arebhashe Academy. Madikeri MLA Dr Mantar Gowda, Virajpet MLA and Chief Minister’s Political Secretary A.S. Ponnanna, and several other dignitaries paid floral tributes. Those present included academy president Sadananda Mavaji; City Municipal Council president P. Kalavathi; Taluk Guarantee Schemes Implementation Committee president M.G. Mohandas; Urban Development Authority president B.Y. Rajesh; Superintendent of Police R.N. Bindumani; Additional Deputy Commissioner Jayalakshmi; Kodagu Gowda Samaja Federation president Anand Karandlaje; former academy presidents Kolyada Girish and Lakshminarayana Kajegadde; Soortale Somanna; and academy members.
Dr Mantar Gowda said Appaiah Gowda had sacrificed his life in the struggle for the country’s freedom. His contribution, he said, should be remembered throughout the year rather than on a single commemorative day. Society should also show respect and support to the freedom fighter’s family.
He welcomed initiatives undertaken by various organisations in Appaiah Gowda’s memory and said an additional grant of ?10 lakh would be provided to complete pending development works. He urged people to understand the ideals for which Appaiah Gowda fought and to work together for social harmony and development.
A.S. Ponnanna praised the Arebhashe Academy for organising annual programmes that commemorate Appaiah Gowda and educate the public about his struggle. Although he belonged to the Arebhashe Gowda community, Ponnanna said, Appaiah Gowda should be remembered as a freedom fighter who stood against British rule and whose sacrifice belongs to the history of the entire state and nation. He urged citizens to honour the freedom fighter’s ideals through their everyday conduct and actions.
A procession later proceeded from Appaiah Gowda’s memorial via General Thimayya Circle and Mangerira Muttanna Circle to the Fort. Floral tributes were offered at the place where he was hanged.
K.C. Dayananda, a professor at Government First Grade College, Virajpet, said a society risked losing its identity if it forgot its heroes. He called for Appaiah Gowda’s name to be given not only to roads but also to educational institutions, suggested naming the district’s military school after him, and proposed establishing a Guddemane Appaiah Gowda Study Chair at Kodagu University. He also urged the academy to undertake focused research and organise programmes to introduce his life and contribution to younger generations.
Kiran Budleguthu, president of the Mangaluru Vokkaliga Gowda Seva Sangha and the Samara Veera Kedambadi Ramayya Gowda Memorial Establishment Committee, said young people should be made aware of the sacrifices of freedom fighters. He urged that Kedambadi Ramayya Gowda and Guddemane Appaiah Gowda be recognised as national heroes rather than solely as figures associated with particular communities. He also called for Madikeri bus stand to be named after GuddemaneAppaiah Gowda.
M.G. Mohandas also spoke. Others present included Ambekallu Kushalappa; programme conveners P.M. Sandeep and Mohan Ponnachana; and academy members Soodana Eerappa, Dr N.A. Jnanesh, Lokesh Urubailu, Vinod Moodagadde, Latha Prasad Kudpaje, P.S. Cariappa and Gopala Peraje, among others. Revathi Ramesh and her team, Parlakoti Sona Preethu and her team, women’s associations from Kushalnagar and Makkandur, and Chokkadi Prema Raghavayya’s team presented tribute songs. The Cherambane Gowda Women’s Association performed a thematic song. Academy member Vinod Moodagadde welcomed the gathering and compered the programme, while Ponnachana Mohana proposed the vote of thanks.
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