Mysore/Mysuru: Freedom fighter, ex-serviceman and centenarian M.K. Gopal Iyengar cast his vote at the Polling Booth in Sriman Maharaja Sanskrit Patashala, near Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Office in the city, for the Assembly election yesterday.

Iyengar, who came in a wheelchair only to exercise his franchise, gave a message of enthusiastically taking part in elections termed as ‘Festival of Democracy’ and enjoy the rights and privileges duly granted by the Constitution to every citizen of the country.

Iyengar was 19, when he was attracted towards Quit India Movement of Mahatma Gandhi and took part in the Movement. He was imprisoned and kept in Mysore Jail for 44 days and Bangalore Jail for over seven months. He later joined Royal Indian Air Force as Leading Aircraftman and also helped Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (INA), becoming a part of Freedom Movement.

After India became independent, Iyengar took voluntary retirement from the service and joined as a clerk at the Magistrate Court in Srirangapatna and served for sometime. He quit the job and switched over to selling incense sticks, leading a life of self-reliant. 

He also taught at Government Middle School, H.D. Kote and invented his own recipe of milk kova sweet of better quality for the poor students and succeeded as a sweet vendor too.

Likewise, Iyengar led a disciplined life, which prompted him to vote without fail.