Krishnrao Surybhanji Pawar was born in 1924in Yawali village, dist. Amravati, Maharashtra state. He was the son of farmer Surybhanji. He completed his education still standard fourth. He took an active part in the "Quit India" movement when it commenced on 8 August 1942.
Yavali is a small village in Amravati Taluka. Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj, who inspired the freedom struggle in the entire Vidarbha, was born in this village. The village was also involved in the civil disobedience campaign from 1930 onwards. The people of Yavali village were also organized for jungle satyagraha. Krishnrao was also inspired by Tukdoji Maharaj and threw himself into the freedom struggle.
The Quit India movement started at Yavali on 15 August 1942 at Gandhi Chowk. On the day, the entire village including men, women, and children participated in the movement. First of all, the people occupied the school and hoisted the tricolor on the school. After that, the post box was broken and after that the cattle shed was broken. The office of Police Patil in the village was taken over quietly. In this way, the villagers of Yavali made their village independent. In the 1942 'Chale Jav' movement, On the 16th day of Nag Panchami, the villagers hoisted the national flag and announced "Chale Jaav". Soon this news reached the district headquarters. The Police Commissioner entered Yavali with a large force on 18 August.
The police tried to seize the flag, but in three days of August 16, 17, and 18, 1942, the peasants defended the flagpole by community resistance. The police tried to nab the prominent freedom fighters but were unsuccessful. Pastoral women also joined this resistance. The villagers including Krishnrao responded to the firing of the police with slingshots, a sort of battle was going on between the police and the villagers and he suffered fatal bullet wounds when the police opened indiscriminate firing on the rally.
Krishnrao Surybhanji passed away in 1942.
Details are mentioned in the Gazetteer by the Govt. of Maharashtra.
Name and details mentioned in Dictionary of Martyrs’ India’s freedom struggle (1857-1947) vol. 3 Maharashtra, Gujarat and Sind published by Indian Council of Historical Research.
Source: Vijay Balasaheb Pawbake, Contributor for CCRT.