Hwahsakanalli Village

Hwahsakanalli Village

              Hwahsaknalli was a small village near the banks of the Karanja river in Bagdal hobali of Bidar district in Karnataka. In the 1960s the population of the village was less than a thousand and there were around 75 huts and some well-built homes of Gaudas and Patels. 95% of the population was illiterate. Hindus used to learn modi language and numerics for arithmetics. Muslims learn Urdu and read their holy book Quraan. Kannada learning was absent for many reasons in the history of the land. The Hanuman temple was standing without a roof. Ganesh idol in the temple premises was in a broken state at its stomach. Sharada temple had been modified as Sharambibi and a Dargah was built in place of Sharada Devi Temple Moorti. The pillars of the mandapam were lying scattered in the nearby ground. The invaders deliberately destroyed the temples.
There was an old irrigation well towards the north of the village, called Harur Mala [ meaning it belonged to Brahmins] but it was owned by Reddys and Muslims, each 50% share in the land. There was no brahmin family in this unfortunate village for the reasons untold. There was also no Gonda[kuruba] community here in Hwahsakanalli. There was another irrigation well called Mulgen Mala [meaning it belonged to a Hindu] but was the property of a Muslim, a Kulkarni who used to maintain land records for the nizams of Hyderabad dynasty. The Police Patel was a Lingayat while Mali Patel was a Muslim so also was The Kulkarni. More than 50% of the landholding was with Mali Patel and Kulkarni and Sharikar put together, all the three being Muslims. During Nizam ul-Mulk rule, the Muslims had well established dominating the Hindu population in the village. Interestingly the homes of these three families are adjacent to one another. Two educated young Muslims from this village had migrated to Pakistan during the partition of India and Pakistan. This location is nearly 150 km away from Hyderabad city. A few Urdu pandits were employed in the Hyderabad city.
The Sharam-bibi premises were used to bury the dead bodies of Muslims. During Ramzan prayer, they would get-together there for prayers.

              There was no public school available there for children. Children were at liberty to play what-ever way they desired to. Kabaddi, Gilli Danada, Hututu, were popular evening plays for boys.  Almost all residents were peasants and manual laborers. Patels and Patwaris held most of the cultivating land and Parihas were employed to till their lands and to graze their cattle, as farm servants. The servants were employed on yearly basis wages. Typically one quintal Jawar and a pair of clothes and footwear and some gifts for their lifestyle. There used to be a supervisor to monitor these farm servants. Parihas had their separate colony to dwell and small huts were built with mud walls.


             The backward community like artisans would produce goods needed for village families and provide essential services to the population. They included the water-pots, the wooden articles for agriculture, the iron tools, leather footwear, etc. Life was so simple those days. Chutta smoking was a peculiar art of making chutta from chudadeli[meaning leaf for chutta]. A parihan woman used to serve this chudadelis to each household and she was paid wages as roti [the bread] on daily basis. In every one or two decades of time, there would be one or more communicable diseases and would kill the innocent population and thus the population was naturally controlled, and there used to be very few surviving children in those days in the village. The plague, the cholera, the small-pox were some examples of communicable diseases. TB and Dammu doddabyani were also there.


            The village was surrounded by many tamarind trees and neem trees were planted in front of each hut. A lot of monkeys were housed in the village surroundings. There were also some mango trees here and there. The village floor surface was slightly slopy towards east and rainwater would drain out immediately from the streets and no dirt was felt due to waterlogging. the land was covered with hard laterite stone, red soil structure. There was an irrigation well just behind Hanuman temple called Alli-gidad-malaa, where boys would spend most of their time swimming freely in the well, as long as they pleased in the summer days. This well would feed water to all village cattle in the evening hours while returning to home from farm-fields. Bulls were employed to lift water from the well. a leather apparatus would collect water automatically and the load was pulled by bulls. when the water comes to the surface level of the ground, the controlling person would release water from the apparatus called Bakkun by pulling a rope. This was the oldest way of lifting more water using the bull power and it was called "motti" in the local tongue.

        Yugadi, Dashahara, Deepavali, Moharrum, and Ramzan were popular celebrations in this village. Nagara-Panchami was a famous festival for  Hindu-women. They would gather in an open area and sing folk-songs in the local tongue. Girls used to get together for "Sige hunnive" songs in a particular month of the year. Holi was another occasion for making merry and collecting wooden articles to burn in Holi. During the rainy-season, Hanuman Saptaaha BHAJAN  was popularly celebrated. After seven days of continuous Bhajana, the last day would be celebrated with sweet payasam meals to all the village population,  irrespective of their caste or creed.


                 As the time moved, Kirloskar engines were employed to lift water from wells to grow sugarcane crops and wheat. Many people used to grow groundnuts using rainwater. The land was fertile and cattle dung was served as a natural fertilizer to the farm-fields. Pesticides were unknown to farmers. The village was self-sufficient for most of its needs. The oil, the cloths, footwears, and chili were purchased from weekly bazaars in neighboring big villages. Halliked was a town for such weekly marketing.


The Muslim Patels were like Lords. They had well-trained Horses to ride on important occasions. They had well-built homes of large plinth area. They were rich and power was with them till the village accountants [Talaties] were appointed in Karnataka around the 1970s. For another decade, they continued to dominate and they had servants to till their lands and work for them. It is said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. These Patels were no exception and they did all tricks to enjoy and indulge in adultery. Mali-Patel and Kulkarni both were Muslims and owned more than one hundred acres of fertile land property each. they had multiple spouses. Mali-Patel had three sons from his married wife and one son from a Hindu spouse. in fact, he had two Hindu spouses to serve his interest.  similarly, Kulkarni had one son from his first wife and six sons from second wife. he also had a Hindu woman as his spouse, apart from his wives. thus the story goes. Nobody could question their personal life as they were the center of power in the village. A portion of their land was immersed in Karanja dam back-water.

Educated common people became government servants and improved their economic status and many of them settled in nearby towns. One Reddy became a commercial Tax officer and settled in Gulbarga. From Parihas, one became a doctor and two engineers and settled in cities. Many peasants' sons became employees in different services.

                    By 1990s the things got changed as servants were not available. The Patels managed with some Muslim servants. But many poor Muslins migrated to Hyderabad city. Patels' dominance gradually diminished to common people over the days.  The Patels families had divided into smaller ones and so also their landholdings. Some Patels sold their land for arranging marriages of their daughters. Some Patels migrated to cities. One Patel had no issues and he was holding more than 40 acres of land and after his death, the property was shared by his married sisters from different places. One of the Patels became a politician and got elected to the Karnataka government and became minister for a term. But he was suffering from heart problems and expired around the age of 50 years. His family settled in a nearby town. One of his brothers managed a sugar factory.

The parihas became skilled workers, in house building art and they are happier in the free India, the democratic India. They took no interest to work for Patels or cultivate for the Patels. They are not tilling the land for lords and this created a problem for large landholders. The Patels, either they themselves have to work or give the farmland on lease to interested workers.

Life is a Journey

Life is a journey


Birth to death period and what happens in between is what is called the life of an individual.
By the time I was seven years old, a new school teacher was posted to my village and I was taken to school which was running in a mosque as there was no school build yet. then the premises were shifted to Basavanthrao Patel's home. There were about one dozen boys who attended the school. Next year I was admitted to the third standard, in Ranjol Kheni primary school. I studied up to SSLC at Ranjol itself.  my father was a potter and he would purchase books and notebooks by his earnings of pottery work. In the summer holidays, I would follow him to the weekly market to Hallikhed to sell earthen pots. We used to carry pots on two donkeys. we needed to take care of the earthen pots while on transport, as a little neglect may be a chance for the break-down of pottery articles. Ranjol is just one kilometer away from my village. When I came to seventh class, I started spending more time on study and used to spend night hours with a friend in Ranjol itself. In the seventh board exam, I scored 90 % marks in mathematics, and the least marks were in the science subject during the 1965-66 year.


                During this year[1965-66] a new TDB high school was opened at Ranjol and was functioning from the middle school building itself. The following year 1966-67, the high school was shifted to Maharudrappa temple, one kilometer east of Kheni-Ranjol. I took admission to high school as an 8th class student. I was awarded a merit scholarship of Rs 50/- . This information was leaked to my father by my classmates. In Fact, it was a big amount those days, and father took that amount from me as a hand loan and purchased a donkey for his pottery work. The high school was just one kilometer away from my village Hwahsaknalli.
During 1967-68, when I was a 9th class student, I lost my dear father in the mid-term vacations. it was an unnatural death, as he committed suicide. He was less than 45 years of age; and the financial problems arose after his loss. when a bread earning person goes, in a poor family, things will become more miserable. He was created in a land acquisition process. He could not tolerate the shock, as he lost all the wealth whatever he earned, in this process of purchasing a land property. My mother was sick. she was suffering from TB. I was the only son they had, and my sister had been living with her inlaws.
I completed my ninth class and then entered the 10th class. I had only one dress to wear. No footwear available to wear and I used to go to school, barefoot. My mother was thinking about my future and she decided to conduct my marriage, though I was still a boy. I did not agree with her idea.
On a particular day, two elderly people came from a village called Srimandal to see me and stayed to-night in our home and they had a proposal for my marriage. I told them that I am a student and want to continue my study. It was a struggle to arrange the SSLC exam fee of Rs 25 /-. However, I cleared my SSLC exam in the first division [first class]. My science teacher advised me to join the Science course.


I was a dreamer. I wanted to continue my study. But there was nothing in the home for my support. My mother consulted an elderly man called Sangareddy. We had a discussion on my further education. He estimated that for one year, at least one thousand rupees were needed to attend college at  Bidar including fees, books, and other mess expenditures. But we had no penny available to attempt it. I wanted to at least step into the college premises once.


After the SSLC exam, my marriage was conducted by elders in the summer of 1969. The In-laws gave 10 grams of gold rings. This ring, I sold to get admission to a one year PUC Science course and stayed in my brother in law's room to start with. He was a BA final year student. The cooking materials were made available from Srimandal. Somehow managing the difficult period, completed the year and passed in the second division in PUC  Science.


I was awarded a national loan scholarship for my science degree education. When I was a first-year degree student, a person called Shankar Reddy of Sirkatnalli became my room-mate. He joined PUC Science. We had our rented room near Naya-Kaman Bidar. Thereafter, for the next year, we changed our location to the Mangalpet area. Sri Sidramappa Patel of Sirkatbnalli took a building on rent and we too joined into that home. We spent a couple of months there.

The Hwahsaknalli Mali Patel, Pashamiyya called me and asked me to coach his children, whenever time permits. I agreed and started visiting his rented home in the Maniyar taleem area Bidar. Then they asked me to stay with them and I agreed and became a member of their home. An old lady used to cook food for the inmates. His two sons Ashif and Babu were studying in high school. Patel was of my father's age. After their exam, the students and the old lady left for the native village, leaving me alone in the room. My exam was after one more month. The Patels were from rich backgrounds and took less interest in education. They used to go for merry-making and used to call me also with them. Therefore I could not concentrate on college homework and it became a problem.


One day Patel visited that home alone and we had a talk on past events of my father. He told me about my father as a young man. He said, "there was Police action in 1948 and most of the Muslim families were hiding in Bavgi village to save their lives. The Hindu activists wanted to go to Bavgi to finish those people. My father and one of his friends rushed to Bavgi village in the night time and gave a message to the hiding people to change their location to a safer place." That is how they were saved in that critical moment.


I appeared for the second year degree exam and got through in an ordinary category. The Patel's sons failed in the exam and they vacated the rented room. Next year I took a rented room in the Harurgeri area and studied there and passed my B.Sc. degree with second class merit in 1973. I was the second graduate from our village. Most of the population was illiterate in those days. During my college-going period, my wife was living with her parents in Srimandal village. We could start our married life only after my degree exam was over.


On my sslc merit, I was selected for the Post and Telegraphs department as a telephone operator and was posted to work from Bhalki manual telephone exchange.
         
         So my appointment was of SSLC level. I was a science graduate. I expected better placement and therefore appeared for the Assistants grade exam of union public service commission. But my preparation was not as required; as I was performing eight hours of duty every day. I could not perform well in the UPSC exam. My dream of becoming an officer failed. I was a meritorious student, and never failed even once, but in this exam, it was a failure. It upset me and I could not sleep during the night hours. I was mentally shocked by my failure. From primary school to a degree, I never failed in any exam. This failure was a new painful event in my life.
Even though I was not willing to work in a lower cadre, I was forced to do so to maintain my family, consisting of a mother, grandmother, and wife. In this disturbing mental condition,
I deserted from my place of work and went away into an unknown world, like a mad man. I wandered here and there and one day police caught me in the night hours and put me behind bars in Pune Yerwada jail. I was there for one and a half months in jail during October-November 1975. However, I reported back to duty in the last week of December 1976 when I received a warning notice from the department. For almost one year I did not work.
My mother worried about my condition and she was sick and I had no money to take care of her hospital needs. She expired in February 1977. Since I was absent for many days, it took a lot of time to settle my leave case. I had no penny in my pocket to serve my mother. there was no other person to support her. Around April 1977, my leave case had settled and I received my payment and arrears. I took a single room on rent and was living alone for a few more months. During the rainy season, my wife joined me with my first child who was born in September 1975, when I was mentally sick. The child was more than one year old and could speak. Life started again.


                  There was a friend and colleague called Bhagavathi Ramesh. He was also my college classmate; a good person and a co-operative gentleman. After completion of five years of service in the department, we planned to apply for a higher level post in the telecom department. Ramesh brought the relevant syllabus for the Junior engineer's post. I analyzed the subject. It was general physics and electricity and magnetism. And also the general English and mathematics. Since I had learned maths as a major subject in my degree, I needed to revise only the general physics and electricity and magnetism. We both applied to the Junior Engineers post but did not prepare for the exam. After a lapse of two months, we received hall tickets for the exam to be held in Gulbarga center. Ramesh had his elder sister at Gulbarga, and the department would give three days' leave for the exam. He said, "Let us go to Gulbarga and enjoy three days as holidays." I agreed to his point of view. We went with a blank mind to Gulbarga and took shelter in his sister's home at night. The next day we went to the exam center and participated. The morning's first paper was English and we wrote whatever we knew. The evening paper was electricity and magnetism. The syllabus was of intermediate level. The questions were easy but we had not revised them. The next day, the morning paper was general science. There also found questions about what we had learned in degree, but not revised and could not attempt properly. The last paper was mathematics. I solved many of the questions.
After the exam, we observed that most of the participating candidates were referring to the PUC Science books for exam preparation. We too purchased a set of PUC Science books on mathematics and physics and returned to Bhalki.
         After this event, I started analyzing the competitive exam question papers with the contents of PUC books and found that about 80% of the syllabus was covered by PUC Science books. I started solving some of the questions during my leisure time. I did this exercise for three weeks during free time. Meanwhile, I had also applied for the Phone Inspectors competitive exam and the hall ticket for the exam had come to Gulbarga. I got a phone call from Gulbarga stating that "since the exam is only four days ahead, you come and collect the hall ticket at the head office itself." It was a chance opened for me and I took three days' leave and started reading the PUC Science books vigorously even while in journey time, on a bus to Gulbarga. I stayed in a polytechnic college hostel with a known person, a relative of Bhagavathi, at night and for the next two days wrote the competitive exam. I hoped that I may score more than 80% marks in the exam. I was declared selected for the post of Phone Inspector from Gulbarga center and after six months of initial training at RTTC [Regional Telecom Training Centre], Abids Hyderabad, I was posted to work at Sandur manual telephone exchange in Bellary district as Phone Inspector. I shifted my family to Sandur in 1980. By this time I had two children.
While in Sandur, I was in charge officer of local exchange and had plenty of free time. I thought about the future. Since I could clear my Phone Inspector exam without much effort, I thought that I should try for the Junior Engineer's exam also. I used to study general physics and electricity topics leisurely whenever time permitted me to do so. I was waiting for the opportunity and that came as vacancies were declared and I immediately applied to the exam by submitting my papers through SDOT Office Hospet.


The life dream became true in 1982
I was working as a Phone inspector at Sandur and awaiting the result of the competitive exam held recently in which I too participated. As usual, I went to my work station by 0930 am, and a garland was offered to me saying that I was elevated to the next promotion as Junior engineer telecommunications. My joy was at its peak and a few drops appeared in my eyes. My study has given its sweet result at last!
On the day of my journey to Kerala, almost each staff member was there at Sandur bus stand to say a happy journey. I took the Mangalore bus by 0800 pm and the next day reached Mangalore by noon. From there I had my journey to Thiruvananthapuram RTTC at Pappanamcode area. There I was like an engineering student for almost 14 months. It was like a postgraduate course in the telecom systems. There were thirty students in our batch. I got the seventh rank among them in the final examination.
After this induction course, I was posted to the Gulbarga division in Karnataka for two months of field training. Then I was posted to Raichur Phones SubDivision as Junior Engineer Trunks to start with, in march 1984. I established my family there for 12 years. I became the master in U/g cable network construction and maintenance.

Went to  primary school at Kheni Ranjol
Went to TDB High School at Kheni Ranjol and secured first class in matriculation.
Lost gear father when studying in the ninth class.
I had to struggle hard to arrange the exam fee for the SSLC.
The elders conducted my marriage after the SSLC Exam, at the bride's home at Srimandal.
Dared to join science college, by selling the gold ring given in marriage by the in-laws.
Passed PUC Science in the second division, stood second to the college in PUC merit.
I was awarded a National Loan Scholarship for a B.Sc degree in 1971.
Passed B.Sc. in the second division in 1973 from Karnataka University.
Got appointed in the Post and Telegraphs department which was a central government service in the year 1974, purely on a merit basis.
1979- Passed departmental competitive exam for the post of Telephone Inspectors.
1982- Passed a departmental competitive exam for Junior Engineers.
1999- On seniority, I was promoted as Sub-divisional Engineer Telecom.
2009- Opted for voluntary retirement on health grounds at the age of 58 years.


Some important events

after SSLC, college life at Bidar; self-cooking, and study for a science degree.
after degree exam, famine at our area, and nothing to eat. one month coaching to Patel's children at Rekilgi village for getting some food grains.
six months temporary work in PWD office Bidar as Literate mazdoor @ rs 105/ per month.
on selection as telephone operator in the telecom department, two months training at Gulbarga.
worked at Bhalki as an operator for one year with a lot of pressors to make both ends meet and was helpless. mother was sick the sister was sick and then a failure in the UPSC assistants grade exam.
all these pressures led me to restless and deserted work and went mad and wandered here and there for more than a year.
in summer 1976 I was sent to in-laws home by my mother through a relative called Narasappa Nagore. I was ill-treated by my relatives and was insulted.
received a warning notice from Head office Gulbarga to report for duty. I was not willing to go back but mother forced me to go for duty.
reported back to the same duty producing medical certificates in December 1976.
February 1977 mother expired as there was no one to take care of her. I was penniless as my leave case was not yet settled. I could not support her.
continued working for the next two months when my salary was released. took a single room on rent and was living alone.
wife went to her parent's home in the summer of 1975 and she delivered a female baby in September and was living with her parents.
the in-laws left the hope of my recovery and they did not bother about me.
the struggle was terrifying and I was like a dead body a feelingless person who lost all hopes of a better life.
Balappa Belkeri and Shivamma Kollur visited my place of work. they got satisfied with my work and went to my in-laws home, and forced them to send my wife to live with me in the last week of June 1977. life started again, but parents have been lost and I could not serve them.
My struggle was for a better paid job and dignified life.
however, things changed to positive in 1977. I was a senior among new staff members and started working as Head Telephone operator. then I need not go for night duty. I could spend one hour as office work as ticket collection and posting to the revenue office through the post office. by the next year, my son Ravindra has born. then in 1979, I was eligible to write the departmental competitive exam for the higher grade.

participated in a competitive exam for the post of Phone Inspectors and was selected from Gulbarga center.
had initial training at RTTC Hyderabad for six months from June to December 1979.
started working as a phone inspector at Sandur, in Bellary division.
Prepared for next promotion as Junior Engineer and got selected as JTO.
Had one-year training at RTTC Trivandrum and was posted to work at Raichur Phones sub-division as JTO Trunks.
Then since I achieved my dream, all my worry vanished and was working happily at Raichur.

A decade of Struggle

A decade of struggle


In 1967 Dashahara period- Father expired. I was a helpless boy after my father's death. mother was sick. there was nothing in the home to survive. Then I was a ninth class student.
I had to struggle a lot to collect Rs 25/- as SSLC exam fee. At last, aunt Ratnamma supported me by giving Rs 25/- for this, she sold half a quintal Jowar[sorghum] which she had had for her home needs. She was my father's elder sister. My sister Rukmini married Ratnamma's elder son Br, Balappa Kumbar. They were living in Belakeri village.
1969- summer our family divided. mother forced me to marry a girl from a far off village, though I was not willing to do so. I was still a school going boy below 18 years of age. The marriage was held in summer 1969 after my SSLC exam. The new relatives offered a 10 grams gold ring in my marriage.
I sold this gold for admission fee and joined science college at Bidar. passed the one year PUC Sc in the second division. Next year I was awarded a National loan scholarship for my Science degree. In the 1970-summer, the land property was divided between me and Uncle Nagappa, my father's younger brother.
1971- I was studying for my science degree. my mother visited my rented room in Bidar. I passed B.Sc. part one by summer 1971. The next year 1971-72 I was in the second year and passed the exam by summer 1972. The next year 1972-73, I was a final year student and famine started in this part of India, and crops failed and people were struggling to survive.
1973- Famine continued and I was a final year student. I did not get the loan scholarship installment for that year and was in trouble. I did not know the reasons for holding up loan scholarship installment. I borrowed Rs 200/-  from a relative called Mukund Sultanpur and paid college fees. He was a close relative of my wife. He was her maternal uncle. My grandmother Narasamma visited my rented room and seeing my hardship she gave her gold nose-ring which I sold to survive till the exam is over in summer 1973.
We started our married life in famine after my final year exam. my wife was called to live with me for about a month. During the rainy season, I started working in the PWD Office as a literate mazdoor. I was getting Rs 105/- as salary. We established our family in Bidar for a couple of months. mother joined me. it was a temporary work and was terminated by January 1974. we again went to our native village.
In 1974- I was appointed as a telephone operator and started working on 4th July. I received the first salary in August and repaid Rs 200/- the loan taken by our elders. my cultivating land was free from the tenancy.
Since my salary was less and I had to return the money I borrowed, I was struggling and was not able to save anything to start with. meanwhile mother.s health collapsed and she was seriously ill. I took her to TB hospital in Maharashtra in January 1975. She was admitted there for one month. After getting my next month's salary I rushed to see her. she was recovering and became very glad to see me. I took her to my native village and arranged for her medicines.
no sooner did this happen, my sister became unconscious after her delivery. She was admitted to the Bidar mission hospital. I spent money on her recovery. I wanted to get a better-paid job and therefore in 1975- summer appeared for the UPSC Assistants grade exam and failed to write the exam satisfactorily. This was my first and last failure in an exam. I was shocked because of continuous problems of life one after another and surrendered before the Almighty and deserted from the place of work without intimating to anybody. it became a tragedy and I wandered here and there and was caught in Pune by night round Polish-constable and was put behind the bars. It was a national emergency imposed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and also my own life emergency. The jail authorities came to know that I was a government servant and was released after 45 days, in the middle of November 1975 and I reached to native place to see my heartbroken mother. she was in full stress as she was not knowing my whereabouts. I was like a free bird and could not yield for control. I spent 1976 summer in Sitalgeri, the place of my mother’s birth, and was in bad shape. After the rains, one day I went to Bidar with a friend called Ambruth Dakulgi. in Bidar, I came across another known person who was practicing the law. He took me to his home and guided me to go and report for duty at Bhalki. I went to Bhalki and started working as an operator. I could work only for one month, as there used to be heart-pain and I could not continue. Again I deserted the place of work silently and went to my native village Hochaknalli and was living there. In the month of December, I got a warning letter from the head office to report back to duty. failing which disciplinary action would be taken as per rules. I was not willing to go back. mother started abusing and i was forced to go. I went and reported in the last week of December 1976.
I started working and after three weeks, returned towards native village to attend the Rekulgi Shambhuling Jatra on 14th January 1977. I was penniless and could not serve my sick mother. she was deteriorating. I simply went back to duty. in the middle of February 1977 she expired. I could not save her. My leave case settled after three months and received pay arrears by April 1977. I took a single room on rent and started living alone. I was like a bird, alone, no father, no mother and no wife.
my wife went for her delivery in summer 1975 and she delivered a female child in September 1975 at her parents home and was living at Srimandal village. Because of my madness, the in-laws worried and left the hope of my recovery.
On a particular day, while I was on duty, I received a call from the bidar municipality office where one Mr.Maruthi Rao was working as a sanitary inspector. He asked about my well being. My brother in law, Mr. Veerappa srimandal was with him and he got the message of my well being and working at Bhalki.
One day my brother-in-law Mr. Balappa Belkeri and my aunt Shivamma visited Srimandal and forced the relatives to send my wife to live with me. they put a threat to them, that if they do not send, they would arrange for a fresh marriage for me. she[wife] was sent to Bhalki just before the start of rainy-season. life started again.



 

Telecom Networks and Cables

Rules and actual work:

 A contractor Mr.Javed was marked to assist in u/g cable networks in Bidar. It was 1996, when a modern 5000 line MAX digital switching Unit was installed in Bidar city. The external plant had yet to take up expansion of u/g cable network from 2500 lines to 5000 lines capacity. Some new pillars were installed and network loading work was in progress, as new telephone connections [NTCs]. A new connections providing target was fixed for the year 1995-1996. But actual NTCs provided by year-end were almost nil. The honorarium money sanctioned by circle office Bangalore was returned back. DET Bidar Mr. Jaba was unhappy over the net progress made in NTCs.

 I [Tukaram Kumbar] arrived on mutual transfer from Raichur in the month of June 1996 and took charge as JTO cables Bidar. There was a waiting list, there was a cable network, but the rate of providing New telephone connections [NTCs] was very very slow. I could not make out the reason for it. It was a delay and fetch money tactics that was in practice. I raised an objection over such activity and allotted cable pairs in writing for 100 NTCs. If any person visited me for NTC, I diverted him to the correct location, the outdoor section. The rate of NTCs automatically improved and we could give enough NTCs in a span of one month. 

 The earlier u/g cable plan for 2500 lines to 5000 lines was rejected by G M Hubli, and it was re-prepared within a couple of months and the approval was taken from General Manager Hubli. For new colonies, new cabling was needed.

 Contractors were given the notice to report with laborers to carry out the targeted cable laying activity. In the Gumpa area, several bit works were taken up. Cables were issued and laying work was monitored. A small bit of fewer than 50 meters was pending and trenching was in progress. After a week, the contractor gave me the report that the laying work is over.

 Since money is to be paid to the labours, the relevant bill was prepared and sent to the account section for payment. The bill was paid within ten days. After that, the contractor came to me and said that the bit work of 50 meters is yet not done. I was stunned on hearing the news. I requested him to do it early to save my mistake of believing him. later on, he laid that bit of cable within a couple of weeks and I was saved from the unwanted problem. Seeing is believing is the best policy.

     We were laying u/g cable towards the Mangalpet area from Fathe-Darwaza and the laborers were pulling the cable. It was a full drum and at a location in between the route, the cable got twisted and was damaged because of high pulling tension. I called the contractor and showed the mistake done by his workers and warned him not to do such mistakes in future. 

     Had I applied rules on him, he could have run-away and cable laying might have been delayed for some more time, and providing NTCs may get delayed. Somehow I tamed that fellow to do the work systematically. Gradually the things improved over the time and we went on expanding the network.

 Area shifting between exchanges:

 Though the Shivanagar area was nearer to the Bidar switching center, the cabling work for the Shivanagar area was done from Naubad exchange; as the switching unit at Bidar was full and no additional DELs could be loaded to it. After installation of a large electronic digital switching unit of 5000 lines, at the main exchange near Ambedkar circle Bidar, the [external] shivanagar area had to be diverted from the Naubad exchange area into the Bidar exchange area. For this purpose, primary cable laying was proposed up to New Bus stand Bidar from the Main exchange at Ambedkar circle. For this, Work orders were issued to Devanand Patil contractor. There were about 150 DELs that needed to be transferred to the Bidar switch as new indicators. We laid a 400 pair cable up to Akka Mahadevi college and erected a pillar to facilitate interconnections. The work was smoothly executed and an appreciation letter was received from Circle office Bangalore to that effect. Shri Venugopal DET received the letter. 

Concept of exchange area:

 Normally the exchange area is limited to around 4 to 5 kilometers radius. beyond this limit, the power loss is more and technically not permitted. Expansion work from 2.5k DELs to 5.0k DELs was taken up and NTCs went gradually increasing. By the next two years, more than a thousand new connections were added. By the end of six years, the total working lines were nearing 10,000 DELs in Bidar City limits. 

concept of Remote Switching units: 

  Within this period, the concept of a Remote switching unit was evolved and the exchange area was again divided into four different locations in Bidar city.1) Maniyar Taleem 2) Gumpa area 3) Kendriya Vidyalaya area and 4) Naubad area. These four localities were connected to the main switching center at Ambedkar chowk through OFC networks. Therefore, the cable laying area was limited to a radius of about 2.5 kilometers. Things have become more simple, as for as cable network is concerned. But maintaining RSUs with a continuous power supply and all, became an additional work. Engine alternators were installed and manpower was deployed to look after the RSUs. Later on, this RSUs system concept was applied to exchanges in taluk headquarters. All the remote four Taluka switches were connected to the main central switch at Bidar city. By this arrangement, the entire district had become a single local exchange area. The commercial and revenue assessing activities were centralised at one place in the district.   

        The subscriber's loops were almost underground. Wall DPs were mounted in important areas. A lot of money was spent on it. But things went on changing. Most of the wall Dps were erased in road widening master plans on the main roads. 

 

Telecom policy 1999 and death of Landlines:

       A day came in telecom after the year 2000, when almost all u/g cable system was gradually eliminated by the advent of mobile telephony. GSM Mobile switches were installed in all RSU stations. Only OFC cables and towers remained in modern telecom networks. Landline started decreasing gradually to 20% of what they had just a couple of years ago. The 1999 Telcom policy separated DOT from BSNL. BSNL became a corporate managed by the government. Private operators were brought into this business and competition was created among the service providers, and on-demand connections were available to any person at any instant of time. Almost 80% of the Indian public uses mobile phones nowadays.

 Shun out the old, shun in the new!

Experiments with Truth

Experiments with Truth


 It was my first duty as a Telephone operator on 4th July 1974. It was a night shift. I was told to answer the callers throughout the night. But I did not have the habit of remaining awake all night. By the time it was 11 pm, my eyes started closing and I was feeling sleepy. I wanted to relax for a few minutes and slept temporarily besides my board on duty. My eyes closed and I was in deep sleep till the early morning hours. When I woke up, I saw that some other staff members were attending to public calls. The next day the engineering supervisor called from Bidar and warned me to do the correct duty. Over the days I was habituated to respond instantaneously just by the sound of lamp lighting on the board.
At the end of the month when I received my first salary, I was very excited and after duty hours, went to native village by bus, with money in my pocket. When I reached Mangalgi, on NH-9, it was 630pm. I needed to walk another seven kilometres to reach my home in Hochaknalli. I started alone by foot and took a narrow path along the fields and started walking quickly. my heart was beating vigorously in fear of someone knowing that I had hard earned money in my pocket. By 830pm I entered my home. In those days there was no power supply in my village and people used to light kerosene lamps. Seeing me at night, elders warned me not to make night adventures.
The next morning I gave the sum of my first wages to grandmother, Narasamma. The hand loans taken from others were paid back and I returned to Bhalki by next day evening. I took a room on rent and established my family. By the third month Veerappa Srimandal arrived to fetch the money he had paid while I was a final year student. I could return half the amount, as the first installment.
By next month, my sister and mother visited Bhalki to see me. 8 hours of duty, 8 hours sleep and rest of the time for other activities was my daily routine. The next month grandmother visited Bhalki and she brought a hen with her. After my duty hours, she took me to a relative's home in the old area of  Bhalki. I was not aware of my relatives in that place. She handed over that hen to the relatives and asked them to rear it on mutual share of profit. By this time I had completed half a year service as a Telephone operator. Bagewdi, Ramulu, were my senior operators. Channapnoor was my batch mate and colleague at Bhalki. He was from Dadgi village. Dattatraya naidu was technician, Nagayya was LMT and Shanti was LMP Bhalki town. D. S. Ugarkar was EST [Engineering Supervisor Telegraphs] Bidar who was boss for Bhalki system. There were 70 working DELs and Aurad and Kamalnagar auto exchanges were terminated at Bhali for trunk working. There were five PCOs [Public Call Office Sites] connected to the Bhalki manual board.
I was getting a small amount of Rs 317 per month and trying to manage all expenditures and repayment of hand loans taken for the household. so savings was almost nil. mother was in native village and she was brought to Bhalki by brother in law Balappa, as her health was very critical. I took her to TB Center at Ambajogai. my sister accompanied me to the hospital. mother was admitted at Ambajogai and we returned back leaving mother alone, without any cash and only God could save her. i worked for one more month and as soon as i got the salary , i rushed to see her. On my arrival she was extremely happy and on our request she was released and we moved to Bidar by train and took the required medicine at Bidar store. I sent her to native village and went back to Bhalki to work and earn. Within the next couple of months, my sister was unconscious on delivery of a male child. She was hospitalized at Mission hospital Bidar. again i was the source of money to serve her in distress.she was saved and the baby too.
I was ambitious and not satisfied with present duty. applied for union public service for the post of Assistants grade. I appeared for the exam in Hyderabad. but my performance was not up the mark. I was shocked by my inability to face the exam. i became restless and absconded from Bhalki and disappeared to Bangalore and then to Pune. I was caught by Pune police as I was wandering in night hours here and there and  was sent to Yerwada jail, as it was an emergency period imposed in 1975 by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi.
       I spent more than 45 days in the Jail. i was released after Deepavali, in November 1975. my mother was in full stress and worried about me as she was not knowing my whereabouts. I spent 1976 summer in Sitalgeri where my maternal grandpa lived. In the month of July 1976, I went to Bidar with my friend Ambruth Dakulgi and in Bidar I met another friend who took me to his home and advised me to go back to Bhalki and report for duty. Unwillingly I went there and started working. But my health did not permit me to sit for long hours. Again I deserted and returned to my native village Hochaknalli.
         During November 76, a memorandum was received from head office Gulbarga, asking me to report back, failing which departmental disciplinary action would be initiated against me as per rules. I read the letter to my mother and she insisted that I go back. I refused to go, as I did not like that post. The days passed and in the middle of December, she started abusing me in an angry mood. I had no choice but to go back to Bhalki. I again reported in the last week of December for duty as Telephone operator.
       Because I was absent for many days, my leave case could not be settled early and I did not receive my pay and allowances for a couple of months. In this period I lost my mother. She left this world and I could not save her. During this period my wife was with her parents and she delivered  a female baby. By this time the baby was more than one year old. Seeing my unusual behavior, the in-laws did not dare to send her to me.
        On the settlement of the leave case I received pay arrears and regular salary. I took a small corner room on rent in Gunj area Bhalki and lived alone. I used to eat in hotels on a monthly basis of payment. A few more months passed and in the rainy season my family joined me. It was like a rebirth to me also. Then life settled and by 1978, my son Ravindra was born.
       By this time I was senior operator and was working as head operator. The advantage was that I  need not go for night duty. My ago was satisfied to some extent, on being called as Head Operator. In 1979 summer I appeared for departmental competitive examination for the post of Pone Inspector and was selected. My worry of underemployed vanished on being promoted to Phone inspector.
        But my parents were not living to see this blessed time of my promotion to a higher level in the telecom department.