Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (DV) <\/p>\n
Mangalore, May 15: Well-known freedom fighter Dr Ammembala Balappa passed away in a hospital here on Thursday May 15. He was 93. <\/p>\n
Dr Balappa had been admitted to AJ Hospital on May 1 after he complained of breathing problems. He was diagnosed with anaemia too. <\/p>\n
Dr Balappa remained unmarried. He had taken part in the freedom struggle, particularly in the 1942 Quit India Movement, and had been in Vellore jail for one-and-a-half years. While in jail, he met former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao who was also imprisoned and was in the same ward. Their friendship led Balappa to learn Hindi. He also came to know Jawaharlal <\/p>\n
Nehru and Jayaprakash Narayan. Among his many followers was former union minister George Fernandes. <\/p>\n
Born on February 23, 1922, he was basically from Sajipamunnur, Marnabail, Bantwal. <\/p>\n
He played a key role in drafting the declaration of land policy (Land Reforms Act) by the Devraj Urs government during the then prime minister Indira Gandhi's tenure. <\/p>\n
Proficient in Tulu, Konkani, Eng, Kannada and Hindi languages, he worked as a Hindi teacher in Karkala during Unification movement. <\/p>\n
He was also a social activist who took part in several revolutionary movements and had strived for the education of backward communities. <\/p>\n
For 25 years, he served as the president of Seva Sahakari Bank in Bantwal. <\/p>\n
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Mangalore: Freedom fighter Dr Ammembala Balappa no more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (DV) Mangalore, May 15: Well-known freedom fighter Dr Ammembala Balappa passed away in a hospital here on Thursday May 15. He was 93 Continue reading