Remembering Karnataka Kesari ā Jagannath Rao Joshi
On his birth anniversary, Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh RathoreĀ salutes Shri Jagannath Rao JoshiĀ ā
Pillar of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Eloquent orator. Goa Liberation hero. Karnataka KesariĀ (Lion of Karnataka).
His story:
Born 23 June 1920, Nargund, KarnatakaĀ .
He spokeĀ 6 languagesĀ ā Hindi, English, Kannada, Marathi, Bhojpuri, MarwadiĀ . He could inspire crowds from Kutch to Kamrup.
The Goa Liberation Movement:
On his 35th birthday āĀ 23 June 1955Ā ā He led 100+ satyagrahis into GoaĀ .
Arrested. Imprisoned. Asked by a Portuguese judge:Ā āWhy did you come without a permit?ā
His reply?
āI came to ask why YOU are here. Goa is my motherland. I have every right to be here.āĀ
That roar earned him the nameĀ Karnataka KesariĀ .
He was also:
A 2-time Lok Sabha MP from Madhya PradeshĀ
A Rajya Sabha memberĀ
A key architect of the Jana Sangh in KarnatakaĀ
Colonel Rathore says it best:
āHis indomitable courage, unparalleled organizational ability, and selfless spirit of service are an eternal source of inspiration.āĀ
š¦ A lion who fought for the nation. š¦ A voice that echoed across the land. š¦ A leader who never wavered.
Salute to Karnataka Kesari.Ā š®š³
