Another illustrious and unheralded hero of Mysuru city, who deserves to be remembered during the Centenary Year of Mysore University, is Y. G. Krishnamurti (YGK). He was born on 17th February, 1916 at Yelandur to parents Gopala Sastry and Lakshmi Narasamma. After his initial education at Yelandur, the family moved to Mysuru for the higher education of their children. Y. G. Krishnamurti studied B. A. and M. A. (English Literature) at Maharaja’s College from 1934 – 1938. He was a great college debater and a favourite student of Principal J. C. Rollo, S. Srikanta Sastri, B. M. Srikantaiah and A. R. Krishnasastry.

YGK was attracted by Gandhian philosophy. The call for freedom made him come out of the class room and involve himself deeply in the agitation for Independence. He became a student leader, who often led processions, conducted hartals and delivered fiery and revolutionary speeches in Subbarayana Kere along with K. C. Reddy and others. He often got arrested by the Police and got locked up in Mysuru Jail. Once during the exams, when Principal J. C. Rollo noticed that YGK was absent, he went to Mysuru Jail and got him released temporarily, so that he could write his exams. He took YGK in his car straight from the jail to the examination hall.

One evening Prof. B. M. Srikantaiah came to the house of YGK (No. 310, D. Subbaiah Road, Mysurue) to show his Kannada translation of English romantic poems titled “Honganasugalu.” YGK was not at home. Prof. B. M. Srikantaiah sat in front of the house on a bench and waited for his pet student. The family members of YGK invited B. M. Sri inside, but he preferred to wait out. YGK came home at 10 pm and was shocked to find his professor waiting outside. Before sending to the press the manuscripts, B. M. Sri wanted the critical approval of YGK for his translated poems! After graduating from Maharaja’s College, Y. G. Krishnamurti wrote a biography of Mysuru’s Grand-Old-Man Tathaiah — M. Venkatakrishnayya in 1933.

Soon after leaving the University, YGK went to Bengaluru and worked as a Private Secretary of Sir M. Visveswaraiah (MV) for two years on a salary of rupees seventy-five. This invaluable apprenticeship under Sir MV led to his work “Sir M. Visveswaraiah – A Study” (1941) with a foreword by Sir Purushottamdas Thakurdas. During the freedom struggle, YGK (without exaggeration) was very close to Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, S. Radhakrishnan, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and K. M. Munshi. In 1938, the historic Haripur Congress convention took place. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose won the election against Mahatma Gandhi’s conscience candidate Pattabhi Seetaramaiah. YGK edited “Haripur Congress souvenir” with a special message from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. YGK was a prolific writer with more than fifty books to his credit. His book “Independent India and a New World Order” (1943) which was earlier mentioned in Star of Mysore on 3.4.2016 had a foreword from S. Srikanta Sastri, which attracted the attention of Joseph Goebbels during Second World War. YGK wrote such works as “Constituent Assembly & Indian Federation” (1940) with a foreword by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and introduction by S. Srikanta Sastri and “Indian States and the Federal Plan” (1939) with a foreword by Bulabhai J. Desai. His works on Federalism and separation of powers laid the foundation for Indian Constitution. He also wrote political biographies like “Gandhi Era in World Politics” (1943) with a foreword by Sir S. Radhakrishnan, “Rajendra Prasad – His Personality and Philosophy” (1952) with a foreword by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, “Jawaharlal Nehru – The Man and his Ideas” (1942) with prefaces by Bulabhai J. Desai and Mrs. Rameshuri Nehru, “Gandhism will survive” (1949) with a foreword by Rameshuri Nehru and “Back to Sanity” (1945) on Gandhism with a preface by Babu Rajendra Prasad.

YGK, after India gained independence, did not seek either political power or any munificence from the Government of India. As a close associate of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and others, he could have easily become either a Cabinet Minister or an Ambassador. Somehow, YGK, around 1952-53 got disillusioned with the Indian political scenario. He left India and went to Nepal on an invitation from His Highness King Mahendra. He spent rest of his life writing books on Nepal such as, “His Majesty King Mahendra”, “King Mahendra: Poetic Values and Technique”, “The Mahendra Era: Radio Nepal”, “Rani Aishwarya”, “Topography of Nepal”, “Political Ideology of King Mahendra”, “His Majesty King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Deva (An Analytical Biography)” and “King Mahendra – The Poet” (1969). For his services to the country of Nepal, he was awarded the highest title accorded to a foreigner – “Gorkha Dakshin Bahu -II” by King Mahendra in 1969.

Y.G. Krishnamurti pursued “Hata Yoga” in Nepal and he had remained a bachelor. On October 23, 1974 in Cochin, Kerala, a total solar eclipse took place. YGK performed a great Hata Yoga feat by sitting in an open ground and gazing at the Sun from the beginning to the end of Solar Eclipse (for a total duration of ninety minutes) and his eyes were apparently not damaged. This yogic feat was certified by Dr. Mathew, an ophthalmologist of Cochin, who examined YGK’s eyes before and after the event. YGK also repeated this feat later at Ankola. In 1969, he wrote a book on Yoga titled “The Great Yogic Sermon.” YGK has donated his library, art collection and manuscripts to a Charitable Trust in Kathmandu. He suffered a massive heart attack at the age of sixty-one on 19th January, 1977 in Kathmandu. His death was reported extensively by Indian newspapers like The Hindu, The Indian Express, Prajavani, Deccan Herald and Sadhvi on 20th January, 1977. A great patriotic son of India died in a foreign land bereft of any homage from friends and relatives. Mysuru city and Yelandur village ought to immortalise this great Kannadiga either by erecting a statue or naming a Circle or Street after YGK. The birth Centenary Year of YGK (2016) coincides with the Centenary Year of University of Mysore.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / April 16th, 2016