ನಮ್ಮಪ್ಪ ಮತ್ತು ಕಂದಮ್ಮ

ಕಂದಕ್ಕಯ್ಯ ನಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆಯ ಆಕ್ಕನ ಕೊನೆಯ ಮಗಳು.  ನಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆಗೆ ಇಬ್ಬರು ಅಕ್ಕಂದಿರು ಮತ್ತು ಒಬ್ಬಳು ತಂಗಿ . ಮೊದಲ ಅಕ್ಕನ ಮಕ್ಕಳೆಂದರೆ ಮರಡಿಯ ಕೃಷ್ಣ ರಾವ್, ಕಂದಮ್ಮ, ಗಣೇಶ್ ರಾವ್, ಶಾಮರಾವ್, ಶಾರದೆ ಮತ್ತು ತಿಮ್ಮಪ್ಪ. ಎರಡನೇ ಅಕ್ಕನ ಮಕ್ಕಳೆಂದರೆ ಸುಬ್ಬಣ್ಣ, ಸೀತಮ್ಮ, ಮುತ್ತಮ್ಮ ಮತ್ತು ಕಂದಮ್ಮ. ಸೀತಮ್ಮ ಮತ್ತು ಮುತ್ತಮ್ಮ  ಇಬ್ಬರನ್ನೂ ತೀರ್ಥಹಳ್ಳಿ ತಾಲೂಕಿನ  ನರ್ಜಿ ಊರಿಗೆ ಮದುವೆ ಮಾಡಿ ಕೊಡಲಾಗಿತ್ತು . ಸುಬ್ಬಣ್ಣ ತೀರ್ಥಹಳ್ಳಿ ತಾಲೂಕಿನ  ಹೊಸತೋಟ (ದೇವಾಸ) ಎಂಬಲ್ಲಿ ಹೋಗಿ ನೆಲಸಿದ್ದರು. ಕಂದಕ್ಕಯ್ಯನ ಗಂಡ ನಮ್ಮೂರಿನ ಪಣಿಯಪ್ಪಯ್ಯ. ಈ ದಂಪತಿಗಳ ಸಂಸಾರ ನಮ್ಮ ಕೆಳಗಿನ ಅಡೇಕಂಡಿ ಯಿಂದ ಪ್ರಾರಂಬವಾಗಿ ಪುರದಮನೆಯ ಮೂಲಕ ಅಡೇಕಂಡಿಯ ಮೇಲಿದ್ದ 'ನಡುವಿನಮನೆ 'ಯನ್ನು ಸೇರಿತ್ತು .

ನಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆ ವೆಂಕಟರಮಣಯ್ಯ ಓರ್ವ ನಿಗೂಡ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ. ಚಿಕ್ಕ ಮಗುವಾಗಿದ್ದಾಗಲೇ ತಂದೆಯನ್ನು ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡು ಸೋದರಮಾವನ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬಾಲ್ಯವನ್ನು ಕಳೆದು ನಂತರ ಊರೂರು ತಿರುಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದರಂತೆ.   ತಮ್ಮ ಸ್ವಂತ ಸಂಸಾರದಬಗ್ಗೆ  ಏನೂ ಯೋಚನೆ ಮಾಡದೆ ಪರೋಪಕಾರಿ  ಪಾಪಣ್ಣನಂತೆ ಇತರರ ಸೇವೆ ಮಾಡುವುದೇ ಅವರ ದಿನಚರಿಯಾಗಿತ್ತಂತೆ .  ಅವರ ಬಾಲ್ಯ ಜೀವನದಲ್ಲಿ ಎಷ್ಟೋ ಕಷ್ಟ ನಷ್ಟಗಳನ್ನನುಬವಿಸಿದ್ದರೂ ಅದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಯಾರೊಡನೆಯೂ ಹೇಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದಿಲ್ಲ. ವಿಚಿತ್ರವೆಂದರೆ ನಾವೂ ಆಬಗ್ಗೆ ಅವರನ್ನು ವಿಚಾರಿಸಿದ್ದಿಲ್ಲ . ಅವರ ಜೀವನದ ದುರಂತಗಳಲ್ಲಿ  ಬಹುಮುಖ್ಯವಾದುವೆಂದರೆ  ತಮ್ಮಿಬ್ಬರು  ಅಕ್ಕಂದಿರನ್ನು (ಭಾವಂದಿರನ್ನು ಸಹಾ) ಬಹುಬೇಗನೆ ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದುದು. ಮೊದಲನೇ ಅಕ್ಕ ಬಾಣಂತಿ ಆಗಿದ್ದಾಗಲೇ ತೀರಿಕೊಂಡರೆ, ಎರಡನೇ ಅಕ್ಕ ಕಂದಮ್ಮ ಹುಟ್ಟಿದ ಕೆಲವರ್ಷಗಳಲ್ಲೇ ತೀರಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದರು . ಇನ್ನು ತಂಗಿಯ ಜೀವನದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಹು ದೊಡ್ಡ ಅನಾಹುತ ನಡೆಯಿತು. ಆ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಬರೆಯದಿರುವುದೇ ಲೇಸು.

ನಮ್ಮಮ್ಮನೊಡನೆ ನಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆಯ ಮದುವೆ ನಡೆದಾಗ ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ಅವರಿಗೆ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಲಾಟರಿ ಹೊಡೆಯಿತೆಂದೇ ತಿಳಿದಿದ್ದರಂತೆ . ಏಕೆಂದರೆ ನಮ್ಮಮ್ಮ ಅವರ ಶ್ರೀಮಂತ ತಂದೆಗೆ ಒಬ್ಬಳೇ ಮಗಳು. ಮೊದಲಮನೆ ಸುಬ್ಬಣ್ಣಯ್ಯ ಮೂರು ಜನ ಗಂದುಮಕ್ಕಳಲ್ಲಿ ಹಿರಿಯರು. ಅವರ ಒಬ್ಬಳೇ ಪ್ರೇಮದಪುತ್ರಿ  ನಮ್ಮಮ್ಮ. ಅವರಿಗೆ ಮನೆಯ ಹತ್ತಿರವಿದ್ದ ಐದೆಕರೆ ತೋಟವಲ್ಲದೆ ,ಬೇರೆಬೇರೆಕಡೆ ಜಮೀನುಗಳಿದ್ದುವು .  ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಮೂರನೇ ಒಂದು ಭಾಗ ನಮ್ಮಪ್ಪನ ಸುಪರ್ದಿಗೆ ಬಂದೇ ಬರುವಂತೆ ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಆದರೆ ಅದು ಇದ್ದಕ್ಕಿದ್ದಂತೆ ಕೇವಲ ಮರೀಚಿಕೆ ಆಗಿಬಿಟ್ಟಿತು!

ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಸ್ವಭಾವದ  ಸುಬ್ಬಣ್ಣಯ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ರುಕ್ಮಿಣಿಯಮ್ಮನ ಜೋಡಿಗೆ ವ್ಯವಹಾರಿಕ ಪ್ರಪಂಚದಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾವುದೇ ಆಸಕ್ತಿ ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ .  ತುಂಬಾ ಅನ್ಯೋನ್ಯವಾಗಿದ್ದ  ಈ ದಂಪತಿಗಳು  ದುರದೃಷ್ಟವಶಾತ್ ತಮ್ಮ ಮಧ್ಯ ವಯಸ್ಸಿನ ಕೊನೆಯ ಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದಕ್ಕಿದ್ದಂತೆ ಒಟ್ಟೊಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ತೀರಿಕೊಂಡುಬಿಟ್ಟರು.  ಹೆಣ್ಣುಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗೆ ಆಸ್ತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹಕ್ಕಿಲ್ಲವೆಂಬ ನೆವವೊಡ್ಡಿ ನಮ್ಮಜ್ಜನ ಇಬ್ಬರು ತಮ್ಮಂದಿರು ನಮ್ಮ ಅಮ್ಮನಿಗೆ  'ಚೆಂಬು' ತೋರಿಸಿಬಿಟ್ಟರು. ಆಗ ನಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆ ನಿಜವಾಗಿ ಲಾಟರಿ ಹೊಡೆಯುವ ಪರಿಸ್ತಿತಿಗೆ ಬಂದರು! ಆಗ ಅವರ ನೆರವಿಗೆ ಬಂದವರು ಪುರದಮನೆ ಶಿಂಗಪ್ಪಯ್ಯ. ಅವರಿಗೆ ತೀವ್ರ ಕಾಹಿಲೆಯಾಗಿದ್ದಾಗ ಸೇವೆ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದಕ್ಕೆ ನಮ್ಮಪ್ಪನನ್ನು ಒಂದೆಕರೆ ತೋಟದ ಜಮೀನ್ದಾರನಾಗಿ ಮಾಡಿಬಿಟ್ಟರು! ಹೀಗೆ ಶುರುವಾಯಿತು ನಮ್ಮಪ್ಪನ ಅಡೇಕಂಡಿ  ಸಂಸಾರ .

ಗೇಣಿದಾರರೇ ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗಿದ್ದ ನಮ್ಮೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆಯ ಒಂದೆಕರೆ ಜಮೀನ್ದಾರಿಕೆ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ವಿಚಿತ್ರವಾಗೇ ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿತ್ತಂತೆ .  ಮುಂದೆ ಒಂದು ಕಾಲಕ್ಕೆ ಗೇಣಿದಾರರೆಲ್ಲಾ ಜಮೀನ್ದಾರರಾಗಿ, ಮೊದಲಿನ  ಜಮೀನ್ದಾರರು ಜಮೀನು ಮಾರಿ ಊರು ತೊರೆಯುವಂತಾದರೂ, ನಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆಯ ಪರಿಸ್ತಿತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾವುದೇ ಬದಲಾವಣೆ ಕಾಣದುದೂ ಒಂದು ವಿಚಿತ್ರವೇ ಅನ್ನಿ !

ಇದೆಲ್ಲಾ ನಡೆದು ನಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆಯವರು ತೀರಿಕೊಂಡು ಎಷ್ಟೋ ವರ್ಷದನಂತರ ನನಗೆ ಅವರ ಜೀವನಚರಿತ್ರೆ ಬರೆಯಬೇಕೆಂಬ ಹಠ ಹುಟ್ಟಿಕೊಂಡಿತು.  ಅದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ನಮ್ಮಪ್ಪನ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯ ಸೋದರಳಿಯ ಕರಿಗೆರಸಿ ಗಣೇಶಭಾವನ ಮನೆಗೆ ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಹೋಗಿದ್ದೆ . ನಾವು ಚಿಕ್ಕಂದಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನೋಡಿದಂತೆ ನಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆ ತುಂಬಾ ಕಷ್ಟಬಂದಾಗ ಗಣೇಶಭಾವನ ಮನೆಗೆ ಸೀದಾ ಹೋಗಿಬಿಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು . ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಎರಡು ದಿನ ಕಳೆದು ನಂತರ ಹೊರಡುವಾಗ ಗಣೇಶಭಾವ ಒಂದು ಗಾಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅವರನ್ನು ಕೂರಿಸಿ ಕೈಗೊಂದು ಪತ್ರಕೊಟ್ಟು ಕಳಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು . ಆ ಪತ್ರವನ್ನು ಕೊಪ್ಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿದ್ದಿ ಸಾಹೇಬರ ಕೈಗೆ ಕೊಟ್ಟಾಗ ಗಾಡಿತುಂಬಾ ಸಾಮಾನು ಹೇರಲ್ಪಡುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಅಷ್ಟಲ್ಲದೇ ಒಂದು ನೂರು ರೂಪಾಯಿಯ  ‘ಇಡೀ’ ನೋಟನ್ನು ಕೈಗೆ ಕೊಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು! ನಾವು ಬೆಳಿಗ್ಗೆ ಎದ್ದು ನೋಡುವಾಗ ಕರಿಗೆರಸಿ  ಗಾಡಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯ ಮುಂದಿರುತ್ತಿತ್ತು !  ನಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆಯ ಮುಖದಲ್ಲಿ ಅವರ ಸೋದರಳಿಯನ ಮೇಲಿನ ಅಭಿಮಾನ ಎದ್ದು ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿತ್ತು !

ನಾನು ನನ್ನ ತಂದೆಯ ಕಥೆ ಹೇಳುವಂತೆ ಕೇಳಿದಾಗ ಗಣೇಶಭಾವನ ಮುಖ ಅರಳಿತು .  ಅವರು ಕೂಡಲೇ 'ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಬಾಲ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಕಿದುದೇ ಪುಣ್ಯಾತ್ಮನಾದ ನಿನ್ನ ತಂದೆ  ಕಣಪ್ಪ ' ಎಂದು ತುಂಬಾ ಅಭಿಮಾನದಿಂದ ಹೇಳಿದರು . ಅವರ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಚಿಕ್ಕಂದಿನಲ್ಲೇ ತಂದೆತಾಯಿಗಳನ್ನು ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದ ಅವರನ್ನು ನಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆಯೇ ಅಡೇಕಂಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕರೆತಂದು ಸಾಕಿದ್ದರಂತೆ . ಆಗ ನಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆ ಹಣಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಪಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಬವಣೆಗಳನ್ನು ವರ್ಣಿಸಿದರು . ಆದರೆ ಅವರಿಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆಯಬಗ್ಗೆ  ಬೇರೆ ವಿಚಾರಗಳೇನು ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲವೆಂದರು. ನನ್ನ ಕುತೂಹಲ ಮಾತ್ರ ಕರಗಲಿಲ್ಲ.

ಆಮೇಲೆ ಸುಮಾರು ಒಂದು ವರ್ಷದ ನಂತರ ನನಗೆ ಕಂದಕ್ಕಯ್ಯನ ನೆನಪಾಯಿತು.  ಆ ವೇಳೆಗೆ  ಅವಳ ಸಂಸಾರ ನಮ್ಮೂರಿನಿಂದ ಹೊರಟುಬಿಟ್ಟಿತ್ತು. ಒಮ್ಮೆ ನಮ್ಮಕ್ಕನ ಮನೆಗೆ ಹೋದಾಗ, ಅವಳು  ಹರಿಹರಪುರದಲ್ಲಿ ಮೊಮ್ಮಗನ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿರುವಳೆಂದು ತಿಳಿಯಿತು . ತಡಮಾಡದೇ ಸೀದಾ ಅಲ್ಲಿಗೆಹೋದೆ . ನನ್ನ ಅದೃಷ್ಟಕ್ಕೆ ನನ್ನ ಕೈಗೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿಯೇ ಬಿಟ್ಟಳು! ಅವಳಿಗಾಗ ತೊಂಬತ್ತರ ಹತ್ತಿರ ವಯಸ್ಸು .  ಆದರೆ ಯಾವುದೇ ಕಾಹಿಲೆ ಕಸಾಲೆ  ಇಲ್ಲದೆ ಗಟ್ಟಿ ಮುಟ್ಟಾಗಿದ್ದಳು.  ನನ್ನನ್ನು ನೋಡಿ ತುಂಬಾ ಸಂತೋಷಪಟ್ಟಳು.

ನಾನು ತಡಮಾಡದೇ ನನಗೆ ಅವಳ ಬಾಲ್ಯದ ಹಾಗೂ ನಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ವಿವರವಾಗಿ ಹೇಳುವಂತೆ ಕೇಳಿಕೊಂಡೆ .  ಆಗ ಅವಳು ತನ್ನದು ತುಂಬಾ ಹೃದಯವಿದ್ರಾವಕ  ಮತ್ತು ನಂಬಲಾಗದ ಕಥೆಯೆಂದು ಹೇಳ ತೊಡಗಿದಳು . ನಾನು ಗಮನವಿಟ್ಟು ಕೇಳ ತೊಡಗಿದೆ . ಆ ಕಥೆ ಹೀಗಿತ್ತು:

ಕಂದಕ್ಕಯ್ಯನ ತಂದೆಯ ಪೂರ್ವಿಕರು ಗಡೀಕಲ್ ಹತ್ತಿರವಿರುವ ಕೊಕ್ಕೋಡು ಎಂಬಲ್ಲಿ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಜಮೀನ್ದಾರರಾಗಿದ್ದರಂತೆ . ಆ ಜಮೀನು ಹೇಗೆ ಕಳೆದು ಕೊಂಡರೆಂದು  ಅವಳಿಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗಲಿಲ್ಲ . ಅವಳಿಗೆ ತಿಳಿದಂತೆ ಅವಳು ತೀರಾ ಚಿಕ್ಕವಳಿದ್ದಾಗ (೩-೪ ವರ್ಷ) ಅವಳ ಅಮ್ಮನೊಡನೆ ನರ್ಜಿಯಲ್ಲಿದ್ದ ಅವಳ ಮೊದಲ  ಅಕ್ಕನ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ವಾಸವಾಗಿದ್ದಳಂತೆ . ಆ ಅಕ್ಕ ಆಗ ತನ್ನ ಮೊದಲನೇ ಮಗುವಿನ ಜನನದ ನಿರೀಕ್ಷೆ ಯಲ್ಲಿದ್ದಳಂತೆ .

ಆಗ ಇದ್ದಕ್ಕಿದ್ದಂತೆ   ಆ ಊರಿಗೆ ಆ ಕಾಲಕ್ಕೆ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ದವಾಗಿದ್ದ ‘ಮಹಾಮಾರಿ’ ಕಾಹಿಲೆಯ ಪ್ರವೇಶವಾಯಿತಂತೆ . ಅದು ಮೊದಲು ತಗಲಿಕೊಂಡದ್ದು ಕಂದಕ್ಕಯ್ಯನ ಅಮ್ಮನಿಗೇ! ಈ ವಿಷಯ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗುತ್ತಲೇ ಊರಿನ ಬೇರೆಯವರೆಲ್ಲಾ ಇವರನ್ನು ಊರುಬಿಟ್ಟು ಹೋಗುವಂತೆ ಒತ್ತಾಯಿಸಿದರಂತೆ. ಆದರೆ ಊರು ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಹೋಗುವುದಾದರೂ ಎಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ? ಕಾಹಿಲೆ ಬಂದವಳನ್ನು ಏನು ಮಾಡುವುದು ? ನರ್ಜಿಯ ಕುಟುಂಬಕ್ಕೆ ಅದೊಂದು ಅಗ್ನಿಪರೀಕ್ಷೆ  ಆಗಿತ್ತು .

ಆಗ ಆಪದ್ ಬಾಂಧವನಂತೆ  ಅಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಬಂದವರು  ನಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆ.  ಅವರು ಆಗ ಕೆಸವೆಯೆಂಬ ಊರಿನಲ್ಲಿದ್ದ ತಮ್ಮ ದೊಡ್ಡಪ್ಪನ ಮಗನ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿದ್ದರಂತೆ . ಅವರಿಗೆ ಯಾರಿಂದಲೋ ಸಮಾಚಾರಸಿಕ್ಕಿ ಕೂಡಲೇ ತಮ್ಮ ಅಕ್ಕನ ನೆರವಿಗೆ ಧಾವಿಸಿ ಬಂದಿದ್ದರು . ಆದರೆ ಅಕ್ಕನ ಪರಿಸ್ತಿತಿ ತಮ್ಮ ಕೈಮೀರಿದೆಯೆಂದು ಅವರಿಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಾಯಿತು . ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ಸೇರಿ ಒಂದು ತೀರ್ಮಾನಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದರಂತೆ . ಅದೇನೆಂದು ಚಿಕ್ಕವಳಾಗಿದ್ದ ಕಂದಕ್ಕಯ್ಯನಿಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗಲಿಲ್ಲ .

ಇದ್ದಕ್ಕಿದ್ದಂತೆ ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ಗಂಟು ಮೂಟೆ ಕಟ್ಟಿಕೊಂಡು ಹೊರಡಲು ತಯಾರಾದರಂತೆ . ಕಂದಕ್ಕಯ್ಯನ ಅಮ್ಮನನ್ನು ಅಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಮನೆಯ ಬಾಗಿಲಿಗೆ ಬೀಗ ಜಡಿದು ಬಿಟ್ಟರಂತೆ !ಚಿಕ್ಕ ಮಗುವಾಗಿದ್ದ ಕಂದಕ್ಕಯ್ಯನಿಗೆ ದಿಗ್ಬ್ರಮೆಯಾದಂತಾಗಿ ಜೋರಾಗಿ ಅಮ್ಮಾ ಅಮ್ಮಾ ಎಂದು ಬೊಬ್ಬೆ ಹಾಕತೊದಗಿದಳಂತೆ .   ಕೂಡಲೇ ಅವಳನ್ನು ಸೆಳೆದು ಸೊಂಟಕ್ಕೇರಿಸಿಕೊಂಡ ನಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆ ಎಲ್ಲರೊಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಬಿಸಬಿಸನೆ ಕಾಲು ಹಾಕುತ್ತಾ ಹೊರಟುಬಿಟ್ಟರು . ಆಗ ಮನೆಯೊಳಗಿಂದ ಅವಳ ಅಮ್ಮನ ಆರ್ತನಾದ ಜೋರಾಗಿ ಕೇಳತೊಡಗಿತ್ತು . ಆದರೆ ಯಾರೂ ಕೂಡಾ ತಿರುಗಿನೋಡುವ ಸಾಹಸ ಮಾಡಲಿಲ್ಲ . ಆದರೆ ಅಪ್ಪನ ಸೊಂಟದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದ ಕಂದಕ್ಕಯ್ಯ ಮಾತ್ರ ತಿರುತಿರುಗಿ ನೋಡತೊದಗಿದಳಂತೆ . ಆಗ ಅವಳಿಗೆ ಅವಳ ಅಮ್ಮ ಕಿಟಕಿಯೊಳಗಿಂದ ಕೈಚಾಚಿ ತನ್ನನ್ನೂ ಕರೆದೊಯ್ಯುವಂತೆ ಬೊಬ್ಬೆ ಹಾಕುತ್ತಿರುವುದು ಕಾಣಿಸಿತಂತೆ . ಆ ದೃಶ್ಯ ಅವಳ ಇಡೀ ಜೇವಮಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಮರೆಯುವಂತದಲ್ಲ . ಆದರೆ ಅದೇ ಕೊನೆ . ಅವಳ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯ ಅಮ್ಮನ ಜೀವನ  ಈಬಗೆಯ  ಹೃದಯವಿದ್ರಾವಕ ಪ್ರಸಂಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಂತ್ಯ ಕಂಡಿತ್ತು .

ನಮ್ಮ ಅಪ್ಪನ ನೇತ್ರತ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ಇಡೀ ಸಂಸಾರ ಕಾಲ್ನಡಿಗೆಯಲ್ಲೇ ಕೊಪ್ಪ ತಾಲೂಕಿನ ಕೆಸವೆ ಊರಿನ ಗಡಿ ತಲುಪಿತು . ಆದರೆ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಅಲ್ಲೊಂದು ಆಘಾತ ಕಾದಿತ್ತು.  ಆ ಊರಿನವರಿಗೆ ಇವರು ಬರುತ್ತಿರುವ ಸಮಾಚಾರ ಮೊದಲೇ ತಿಳಿದು ಊರಿನ ಗಡಿಯಲ್ಲೇ ಇವರನ್ನು ತಡೆದರು . ಅವರಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾರಿಗಾದರು ಆಗಲೇ ಕಾಹಿಲೆ ಅಂಟಿರಬಹುದೆಂದು ಅವರಿಗೆ ಸಂಶಯ . ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ನಮ್ಮಪ್ಪನಿಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಊರಿಗೆ ಪ್ರವೇಶವೆಂದು ನಿರ್ದಾಕ್ಷಿಣ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಹೇಳಿಬಿಟ್ಟರು .  ಆಗ ನಮ್ಮಪ್ಪನ ಪರಿಸ್ತಿತಿ ತುಂಬಾ ಕಷ್ಟಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂತು. ಆದರೆ ಅವರು ಉಳಿದವರ ಕೈಬಿಡಲು ತಯಾರಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ .

ಹುಟ್ಟು ಹೋರಾಟಗಾರರಾದ ನಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪವೂ ದೃತಿಗೆಡದೆ ಎಲ್ಲರನ್ನೂ ಹತ್ತಿರದ ಕಾಡಿಗೆ ಕರೆದುಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗಿ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಒಂದು ಗುಡಿಸಲು (ಕ್ಯಾಂಪ್) ಕಟ್ಟಿ ಅದರಲ್ಲೇ ಇರುವಂತೆ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ ಮಾಡಿದರು . ಅವರು ಊರೊಳಗೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಆಗಾಗ ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ತಮ್ಮ ಕೈಲಾದ ಆಹಾರ ಪದಾರ್ಥಗಳನ್ನು ಕಾಡಿನ ಮನೆಗೆ ರಹಸ್ಯವಾಗಿ ತಲುಪಿಸತೊಡಗಿದರು. ಹೀಗೆ ಸುಮಾರು ಒಂದು ತಿಂಗಳು ಕಳೆಯುವಾಗ ಮಹಾಮಾರಿ ರೋಗ ಎಲ್ಲಕಡೆಯಿಂದಲೂ ಹೊರಟುಹೋಗಿದೆ ಎಂಬ ಸಮಾಚಾರ ಸರ್ಕಾರದಿಂದ  ಪ್ರಚಾರವಾಯಿತು . ಆಮೇಲೆ ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ಅವರವರ ಊರು ಸೇರಿದರಂತೆ .

ಇಷ್ಟು ಹೇಳಿ ಮುಗಿಸುವಾಗ ಕಂದಕ್ಕಯ್ಯನ ಕಣ್ಣಲ್ಲಿ ನೀರು ಹರಿಯ ತೊಡಗಿತು . ನನಗೂ ಅವಳು ಕಥೆಯಿಂದ ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಸಿದ  ಸನ್ನಿವೇಶದಿಂದ ಹೊರಗೆ ಬರಲು ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಕಾಲ ಬೇಕಾಯಿತು . ತನ್ನ ಒಡಹುಟ್ಟಿದ ಅಕ್ಕನನ್ನು ಮೃತ್ಯುವಿನ ಕೈಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಬರುವಾಗ ನಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆಯ ಮನಸ್ಥಿತಿ ಹೇಗಿದ್ದಿರಬಹುದು ? ಆ ನೆನಪು ಅವರ ಜೀವಮಾನವಿಡೀ ಕೊರಗುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡಿತೆ? ಇದು ಈಗ ಕೇವಲ ಒಂದು ಯಕ್ಷಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಯಷ್ಟೇ .

ಇಂದು ನಮ್ಮ ತಂದೆ ತೀರಿಕೊಂಡು ಎಷ್ಟೋ ವರ್ಷಗಳು ಸಂದಿವೆ . ಕಂದಕ್ಕಯ್ಯನೂ ಕಳೆದ ವರ್ಷ ತೀರಿಕೊಂಡು ಬಿಟ್ಟಳು . ಆದರೆ ಅವಳು ಹೇಳಿದ ದುರಂತ ಕಥೆಯನ್ನು ಮರೆಯಲಾಗುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ. ನಮ್ಮ ಸೋದರತ್ತೆಯಾಗಿದ್ದ ಅವಳ ಅಮ್ಮ ನರ್ಜಿ ಮನೆಯ ಕಿಟಕಿಯಿಂದ ಕೈಚಾಚಿ ಕರೆಯುತ್ತಿರುವ ದೃಶ್ಯ ಪದೇ ಪದೇ ಕಣ್ಣ ಮುಂದೆ ಬರುತ್ತದೆ . ದೇವರು ಕಂದಕ್ಕಯ್ಯನ ಆತ್ಮಕ್ಕೆ ಶಾಂತಿಯನ್ನೀಯಲಿ.

I Don’t Know, Son! - 81

The Gangster & His Books of Accounts!

Son: Bangalore Mirror has reported an interesting case of a gangster who maintained his books of accounts meticulously, dad!

Father: Interesting. Go on, son.

Son: The gangster Kunigal Prakash was caught by the police along with his associates with an accumulated booty of gold ornaments, cash and valuables worth Rs1.5 crore, dad.

Father: Go on, son.

Son: The police also recovered a diary from the gangster in which he had maintained the full details of the items, the names of his victims and their addresses, dad!

Father: Interesting. Go on, son.

Son: The police had little difficulty in returning the items to the victims that included a Kannada film actor called Harsha, dad.

Father: Wonderful. Go on, son.

Son: However, the police could not confirm whether the gangster was getting his accounts audited periodically, dad!

Father: I don’t know, son!

Chain Snatcher Files a Police Complaint!

Son: A chain snatcher in Bangalore has filed a police complaint against a group of youth who caught him and beat him up after a woman raised an alarm, dad!

Father: Interesting. Go on, son.

Son: According to E.Suresh, the chain snatcher, he had suffered losses in his business and had diversified into chain snatching business only recently, dad!

Father: Go on, son.

Son: He surveyed different localities and had identified the Coffee Board Layout in Hebbal for his maiden attempt, dad.

Father: Go on, son.

Son: He managed to snatch a gold chain from a lonely woman and was running away when the woman raised an alarm attracting a group of youth, dad.

Father: Go on, Son.

Son: According to Suresh, he lacked proper technology needed for the escape and was caught easily by the youth who thrashed him and broke his right leg, dad.

Father: Go on, son.

Son: Suresh was then arrested by police and shifted to a hospital, dad.

Father: Go on, son.

Son: His complaint says that just because he was a novice in his new business, the youth had no rights to thrash him and break his leg, dad!

Father: I don’t know, son!

The Diary or Dairy?

Son: The Chief Minister (CM) of Karnataka Siddaramaiah took the BBMP officials to task last month for neglecting the task of garbage disposal in the Bangalore city, dad.

Father: True. Go on, son.

Son: The CM lambasted them and wanted to know how many times they inspected garbage disposal activity in their area, dad.

Father: Go on, son.

Son: He also asked them to show their diaries, dad.

Father: Go on, son.

Son: While none of them responded, some of them had a question mark on their face, dad.

Father: What for? Go on, son.

Son: They were surprised to know that the CM was aware that they were owning dairies and spending their time on operating them, dad!

Father: I don’t know, son!

Cement Company has money for Amitab Bachhan not for Tax!

Son: The Supreme Court has pulled up Binani Cement for not paying sales taxes to the Government of Rajasthan, dad.

Father: Go on, son.

Son: The court observed that the company was spending crores on advertisements featuring mega star Amitab Bachhan, dad!

Father: Go on, son.

Son: The bench asked how much you pay for one appearance of Amitab Bachhan for an advertisement. It must have been thousands of crore. But you have no money for the state!

Father: Go on, son.

Son: The court refused to protect the company from coercive action initiated by the Government of Rajasthan, dad.

Father: Go on, son.

Son: The company is said to owe Rs154 crore to the state, dad!

Father: I don’t know, son!

The Unborn Daughter

The sun was rising in the east

The birds were singing so cute

The mind was thinking very fast

And then came your thought!

We had a gentle neighbour

He had a beautiful daughter

She was so smart and lovely

We wished to see her daily!

Her eyes always twinkling

Her moves, we had no inkling

Whenever we saw her entering

Our heart beats started jumping!

She had such a sweet name

All others looked so tame!

She looked such a great beauty

Her parents had named her Sweetie!

We then made a prayer

Oh! Let us have one such daughter!

She would have all our affection

We would bring her up with such perfection!

Years went fast

The life went on

Our prayers unanswered

The wishes unfulfilled!

Today in the evening of our life

We look back to find something missing

Oh! Our unborn daughter!

You remain always our little darling!

Adventures of Kabir - The Garden Visit

Our grandson Kabir conducted an inspection of our house-garden during his last week-end visit to our place. Here is a pictorial account of how he went round the garden and conducted the inspection in his own style:

The inspection completed successfully with Kabir explaining the methodology he adopted to his mother who was fully impressed! He finally gave a report to his grandmother who rewarded him with a beautiful flower!

The Monsoon Arrives

The weather was dry

The mood was low

The mind was roaming

And then came your thought

It was the end of summer

It could not have been harsher

The river was flowing thinner

And then came your thought

Walked out of the home

Had an umbrella for shade

The streets were all empty

And then came your thought

Entered the paddy field

The crop stood fully harvested

There was no greenery around

And then came your thought

The legs were getting tired

Reached the end of the field

Was into the jungle route

And then came your thought

The jungle was indeed deep

But was not all dark

The leaves and shrubs were dry

There were no birds at sight

And then came your thought

Saw the big banyan tree

Sat under the vast shades

Shut the eyes, let the mind free

And then came your thought

Heard the sound of the storms

Coming from the deep jungles

Saw the cloud and the dust

And then came your thought

The skies grew fully dark

The lightning also started

The thundering just followed

And then came your thought

Got up quickly from the floor

The climate turned cold for sure

The prayers were answered and how!

And then came your thought

Heard the sounds of your arrival

The first drops of the season were falling

It was like the sweet melodious singing

With you the Monsoon arriving!

Murari Tholpadi – The Quintessential Professor (Economics)

The Life-Partner Arrives!

It was the year 1965. The Tholpadi family received a matrimonial proposal for Murari. It was from Shri K Sarvottham Hebbar of Kundapura. He was a rich landlord and also owned a printing press in Kundapura. His first daughter Snehaprabha had completed her B.Sc.  In fact she was working as a Demonstrator in the Bhandarkar’s itself. Sneha was also a student of MGM College when Murari was working there temporarily. The proposal was perfect - with a minor hitch though!  While Murari was a six-footer, Sneha was short in height. Both the families gave their consent. It was left to Murari to take the final decision.

Murari was agreeable for the proposal. But he had his own conditions. He told Sneha almost bluntly that he had a commitment to his family. It was to support the education of his younger brothers and sisters. It included the support for the marriage of the sisters also. It was not only the question of extending financial support. Murari told Sneha that the younger lot would stay with them for completion of their High School and College education. According to Murari, the commitment could be almost for a period of 15 years!

It was indeed a challenge for Sneha. Her father was a quite well-off man and she had a comfortable upbringing in her family. While she relished the proposal from one of the most eligible bachelors in Kundapura at that time, the responsibility and the sacrifice post-marriage was just awesome. Which girl of today would like to lose her privacy with her hubby - that too immediately after marriage? How many of them would agree for cooking at the kitchen daily for her husband’s family members on a long-term basis?  How many of them would not mind their husband’s major portion of monthly salary go towards his family maintenance!

The challenge was accepted by Sneha. The marriage of Murari and Sneha was held in Udupi on the 13^th of December 1965. The initial days were really tough for Sneha. But she found in Murari the qualities of a most understanding and lovable husband. After some time she found it difficult to hold on to her job and perform her household duties simultaneously. Murari left the decision to her. He knew the available funds for the family would come down. But he did not want her to bear the burden just for money’s sake. Sneha tendered her resignation to the job after about one and a half year.

The size of Murari’s family at Kundapura kept growing.  His sisters Kshama and Sudha and the youngest brother Ravi joined the family over a period of time. Murari’s maternal uncle’s son Raghu also stayed with the family for three years. Many years later, Sudhir, son of Murari’s elder brother, also stayed with the family. He stayed there for eight years to complete his graduation. All of them joined Murari at the High School 1^St Year stage. Meanwhile the first daughter of the couple – Kavitha – had arrived. The second sister Veena also stayed with the family for some time. The idea was to find a suitable match for her.

The marriage of Veena was held in the year 1971 with Mr. Ramamurthy of Koteshwara, a hotelier by profession. The marriage of Uma was held in the year 1972 with Mr. M H Rao, who was working with a German multinational company in Mumbai. Murari had to share the financial burden on both the occasions. But the couple definitely had a sense of satisfaction for having contributed to the family’s welfare.

Murari’s burden started reducing after his immediate younger brother Venkatarama completed his M.Sc. and joined Karnataka Bank as an Officer. Meanwhile, another younger brother Rajgopal also completed his B.Sc. and joined the services in Canara Bank. Both of them left Kundapura and started sharing the financial burden. The marriage of Kshama was held in 1977 (with the writer of this article). By the time the marriage of the youngest daughter Sudha came up, the youngest brother Dr. Ravi contributed the lion’s share. All in all, Murari’s goal of educating his younger brothers and sisters and conducting the marriages of younger sisters was achieved within the timeframe he had envisaged and told his wife Sneha.

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By this time the couple’s son – Ganesha – had arrived. The couple could now focus on their daughter Kavitha and the newly born son. Murari could also now think of building a house of his own in Kundapura. He started looking for a site. He could build his dream house in Kundapura in the year 1981 – nearly 20 years after he took up his first employment.

The writer of this article was on deputation to inspect certain branches of Canara Bank in South Kanara while working at the Inspection Department in Mumbai. The year was 1978. He fell ill while on duty at a Mangalore branch. Luckily for him, he had also been entrusted with the job of inspecting the Brahmavara and Tekkatte branches near the Kundapura town. He stayed with the couple for more than a month and could recoup his health and energy! He remembers how Sneha took all the trouble to ensure that his health could improve at the earliest. That was more like an elder sister!

The occasion was also an opportunity for him to observe what a disciplined life the couple led. He could see the respect Murari commanded in the small town. Murari is a stickler to time and the family’s daily schedule was more like a school timetable. The concept of ‘healthy food’ had been a norm with this family even in those days. Of course it has become a fashionable statement for the present generation!

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Murari was offered the post of Principal of the Bhandarkar’s repeatedly. However, he somehow did not like to take up an administration job. He was quite happy with his job of teaching. Eventually he retired as Professor of Economics and Head of the Department from the Bhandarkar’s in April 1994. He was offered the post of Principal of BB Hegde College of Commerce & Business Management in Kundapura. He worked there for six months; but found the working environment not to his liking and resigned. He is enjoying his retired life peacefully in Kundapura since then.

Many of his students from all over India and across the world remember Murari as their best teacher. He also remembers many of his students who rose to eminent positions in their sphere of life. Among them he cites the names of Shri Annappayya (a rank student) who retired as the General Manager of Canara Bank and Shri K R Kamath – the present Chairman and Managing Director of Punjab National Bank. In fact, Mr. Kamath honoured Murari by making a special mention of him as his best teacher during his visit to Bhandarkar’s two years ago.

The couple’s daughter Kavitha was a brilliant student who completed her MBBS from the Mysore Medical College. Married to an IPS Officer Mr. Mardi immediately thereafter, she completed her House Surgeonship in Simla, Himachal Pradesh. She later completed her MD and DNB at the Indira Gandhi Medical College in Simla. Presently she is working as Professor of Pathology at the same college. Her husband Mr. Mardi is working as the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) of the Government of Himachal Pradesh in Simla.

In addition to her culinary skills, Sneha has been an expert in stitching and artwork. She also makes various paper articles. She regularly engages herself in teaching her art to interested women. The purpose is to engage herself in creative work and guide the younger generation. She doesn’t charge any fee for her teaching work.

Ganesha, the only son of the couple, is into business in Kundapura. Over a period of time he has turned out to be a very successful businessman. What is more – he has not shirked from the responsibility to look after his parents by moving away from Kundapura. For the Murari couple it has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Ganesha is married to Suma. The couple’s daughter is Neeta. The young couple is taking full care of Murari and Sneha in the evening of their life. Murari keeps himself updated on current affairs through newspapers and TV media. He has maintained his health in perfect condition through disciplined life and controlled food habits. The couple is leading a peaceful retired life in the coastal town. This writer wishes a long healthy and happy life to the couple.

--------Concluded--------

I Don’t Know, Son! - 80

Congress Party to Fight Back!

Son: The Congress Party is said to be quite serious in its bid to come back to power at least in the next Five-Year elections to Lok Sabha, dad.

Father: Go on, son.

Son: The party is said to have assigned major roles to three of its important leaders, dad.

Father: Go on, son.

Son: Ajay Maken, the former Minister, is entrusted with the job of going through the educational qualifications of all the BJP MPs and find out discrepancies, if any, dad!

Father: Go on, son.

Son: He has to particularly see whether the Universities from which they passed out were existent at the time of issuing their degrees, dad!

Father: Interesting. Go on, son.

Son: The irrepressible Kapil Sibal has been asked to review all the scams that happened during Manmohan’s regime, dad.

Father: For what purpose? Go on, son.

Son: He is supposed to prove that the loss incurred in all these scams to the exchequer is ‘Zero’, dad!

Father: Wonderful. Go on, son.

Son: The controversy king Diggy (Digvijay Singh) has been assigned with a more challenging role, dad.

Father: Like what? Go on, son.

Son: He is supposed to review all terror cases that took place during the Manmohan regime, dad.

Father: For what purpose? Go on, son.

Son: He has to somehow prove that majority of the cases were from saffron terror outfits, dad!

Father: I don’t know, son!

Mani Shankar Aiyar Missing!

Son: The Congress Party was seriously thinking of assigning a major role to Mani Shankar Aiyar, dad.

Father: Go on, Son.

Son: But the party could not find the whereabouts of him even after a thorough search, dad.

Father: How come? Go on, son.

Son: But ultimately he was said to have been traced in interior Tamil Nadu, dad.

Father: How come? Go on, son.

Son: He was found operating a small tea stall there, dad.

Father: Interesting. Go on, son.

Son: When the journalists asked for the reasons for opening a tea stall, Mani was said to be quite forthcoming, dad.

Father: Go on, son.

Son: He told them that his ultimate aim was to become the Prime Minister of the country, dad!

Father: Go on, son.

Son: He explained that he had made a small beginning by following the footsteps of Modi, dad!

Father: I don’t know, son!

Karnataka’s New Facility for IPS Officers!

Son: The Government of Karnataka is said to have launched a new scheme for the benefit of senior IPS Officers in the state, dad.

Father: Like what? Go on, son.

Son: Under the scheme, the officers who are facing allegations can tender their resignation and give live interviews on the Kannada news channels, dad.

Father: Go on, son.

Son: They can talk to the Home Minister while sitting at the studios of the channels, dad!

Father: Go on, son.

Son: The Home Minister will persuade them to withdraw the resignation through the TV medium itself, dad!

Father: Go on, son.

Son: If they still insist on accepting their resignation, the Chief Minister would ask two or three other ministers and some writers to make them withdraw their resignation, dad!

Father: I don’t know, son!

Vijay Mallya Repents!

Son: The owner of Royal Challengers of Bangalore (RCB) Vijay Mallya is said to be in a state of shock, dad.

Father: How come? Go on, son.

Son: He was a witness to Kolkata Night Riders (KNR) winning the IPL Trophy 2014 in the Chinna Swami Stadium in Bangalore last week, dad.

Father: Go on, son.

Son: He could make out that Karnataka players played a major role in KNR’s second victory in IPL, dad.

Father: Go on, son.

Son: Mallya and his son Siddhartha had ensured that not a single player from Karnataka was in their time this year, dad!

Father: True. Go on, son.

Son: Mallya is said to have told somebody that if only he had spent a small amount on Karnataka players instead of Rs14 crore on Yuvaraj who almost turned out to be a dud, dad!

Father: I don’t know, son!

Murari Tholpadi – The Quintessential Professor (Economics) - Part-II

In those days there were very few persons who had completed their post-graduation. But the job opportunities were equally limited. There were very few First Grade Colleges in the State. Murari’s efforts to secure a lecturer’s post did not succeed. Finally he began his career as a journalist in a daily newspaper called ‘Nava Bharatha’ in Mangalore. He took up the job in all its earnestness.

Murari’s job was to edit the news items received and make them readable. He was also required to give suitable headlines (title) to each news item. He soon developed the necessary expertise and started enjoying his job. He even started writing articles in Kannada. The editor of the newspaper was quite pleased. The articles were published in the newspaper.

After sometime, the editor was so pleased with Murari’s work that he offered him promotion as a Sub-Editor. But there was a catch. The Sub-Editor had to work during the night shift! Murari was not ready to work in the night shift. By that time he received an offer from MGM College to work as a Tutor in a leave vacancy. That was the end of Murari’s career in journalism!

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So Murari was back at his Alma Mater after a gap of nearly four years. He was asked to take classes in History. Initially he was not happy with the subject. But soon he developed interest in the subject and teaching as well. He started preparing notes on the subject. The students started cherishing his well-drafted notes. They came in handy for them while writing their examinations.

Murari’s popularity among students attracted the attention of the management. He was asked to take up the job of hostel warden in addition to his duty as a lecturer. He was given additional remuneration for the job. What was more – he was given free lodging and boarding facility at the hostel to enable him to discharge his duty as a warden.

As stated earlier, Murari’s posting was in a leave vacancy. He was to vacate it when the person on leave came back. Fortunately for him, he got a regular appointment as a lecturer in Economics at the Saint Philomena College in Puttur. The place was hardly 6 kms away from Murari’s home in the village Shanthigodu. Soon Murari settled down in his job. But there was a minor aberration. Murari was paid Rs20 less salary than the other lecturers of subjects like Science and English. The reason being - the scarcity of Lecturers in those subjects. Needless to say Murari was not comfortable with this sort of discrimination. But he was helpless. The amount of Rs20 was not small in those day standards.

Right from the beginning, Murari had set himself a firm agenda. It was to support the family in the matter of education of his younger siblings. He had five younger sisters and three younger brothers. The first thing he did after his appointment in Puttur was to rent a house and bring his mother and two of his brothers (Venkatarama and Rajgopal) to stay with him. The sister Uma also joined him later. They were studying in High School at that time.

The marriage of Geetha, the first younger sister of Murari, was fixed while he was working in Puttur. He was getting a take home pay of Rs180 at that time. His brother Venkatarama remembers how happy Murari was when he could raise a loan of Rs1,000 and give it to his father as his contribution for the marriage expenses. The amount was more than five times his monthly take home salary at that time!

At this juncture Murari received an offer for the post of a Probationary Officer in a Bank. The job of a Probationary Officer in a bank was a coveted job in those days. The remuneration was also very much attractive. But the job meant frequent transfers to different parts of the country. Murari thought he would not be in a position to support his family if he were to accept the bank job. He declined the offer. He completed service of two years at the Philomena.

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The Bhandarkar’s Arts & Science College in Kundapura was set up in the year 1963 by the Academy of Manipal with a major donation of Rs2 lakh by Dr. A S Bhandarkar who was then practicing as a doctor at Bahrain.

Ramdev Shenoy, a friend of Murari, had joined the faculty of the college in the first year. The next year he asked Murari to submit his application for the post of Lecturer in Economics in the available vacancy. Murari was interviewed for the job and was selected straightaway with an offer of additional increment considering his experience. Murari decided to take up the job, as he was fed up with the discrimination policy adopted by the St. Philomena College. He joined the Bhandarkar’s in the year 1964.

It was the beginning of a new chapter in the career of Murari. As the first lecturer to join the college as Lecturer in Economics, he became the Head of the Department. He took a house on rent at the coastal town, which was known for its healthy climate. He shifted his family setup to the town from Puttur. His sister Uma and the two other brothers were with him at this stage.

The young faculty at the newly set up college in Kundapura was in high spirits. Murari, with his MA from the prestigious Benares University and two-year experience at the St. Philomena College, soon became a popular lecturer to the students’ community. He had already made a thorough study of the general attitude of the students towards the lecturers at the MGM College and the St Philomena College. He was aware that the mere command over the subject would not help him in holding the attention of the students. It was important for him to deliver the lectures in an interesting manner to be more effective. He adopted his own methods and over a period of time he molded himself as a model lecturer.

Murari had an additional advantage. His parents had gifted him a very handsome personality. He was a six-footer with fair complexion. He always took extra care to dress up himself well. Among the entire faculty, he was the only lecturer who always attended the College in full suit. He would invariably wear the full suit for the morning session and take up classes in a simple bush shirt in the afternoon session.  All in all, he enjoyed his profession thoroughly. He never had a role model. Rather he became the role model for many of his students.

It was not as if there were no troublesome students at the Bhandarkar’s. Many of the students were from well-off families. They also wanted to enjoy their student life in full. But Murari had developed an art of keeping them under control. The college had good number of girl students in each class. There was an opinion that Murari was stricter with the fairer sex than the boys. According to Murari, the opinion was partly right. He always felt that women had a major role to play in the family and it was essential that they led a disciplined life even as students. He did show some considerations to boys as none of them would like to be insulted in front of the girls!

Murari remembers an occasion when a particular student wanted to play some mischief in the class. As he entered the classroom on that day Murari found a one rupee currency note on the podium. He could make out that somebody had done it intentionally to divert his attention. He picked up the note and placed it on the table. He then told the class -“I had often heard the usage of the idiom - somebody had lost four Annas (25 paise) to convey that the person has gone partially mad (the person has lost his marbles). But here is a case where somebody has lost his entire rupee! “. The class turned totally silent and nobody spoke. Murari then went on with his lecture for the day.

After the class Murari went back to the faculty room. He was immediately followed by a student. At the faculty room, the student started asking Murari how he could insult him like that! Apparently it was he who had kept the note on the podium. He wanted to make some fun by disturbing Murari’s focus on the subject. But as it turned out, he became the butt of jokes of his friends after Murari concluded the class. Murari had to console him and send him back.

------To be Continued------