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.