ನಡೆದು ಬಂದ ದಾರಿ:

1967-ಅಪ್ಪ ಇಲ್ಲದಾದ:

ಹೊಲ ಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಪ್ರಕ್ರಿಯೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮೋಸಹೋಗಿ, ತಮ್ಮ ಜೀವನದುದ್ದಕ್ಕೂ ಅರ್ಜಿತ ಸಂಪತ್ತನ್ನು ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡರು ಮತ್ತು ಭ್ರಮಿತರಾಗಿ ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ತೆಗೆ ಶರಣಾದರು. ದುರ್ಗಾಸ್ಟಮಿಯ ಮಧ್ಯರಾತ್ರ್ರಿ ಎದ್ದು ಹೊಲಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಅಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಬೇವಿನ ಮರಕ್ಕೆ ಉರುಳು ಹಾಕಿಕೊಂಡು ಪ್ರಾಣ ತ್ಯಾಗ ಮಾಡಿದರು.

ಅಪ್ಪನಿಲ್ಲದ ನಾನು ನನ್ನ ಹತ್ತನೇ ತರಗತಿಯ ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆ ಬರೆದ ಮೇಲೆ, ಅಮ್ಮ ನನ್ನ ಮದುವೆ ಮಾಡಿದಳು. ನನಗೆ ಉನ್ನತ ಶಿಕ್ಷಣದ ಆಸೆ ಇದ್ದುದರಿಂದ, ಹೆಂಡತಿಯನ್ನು ತವರೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಕಾಲೇಜು ಸೇರಿ ವಿಜ್ಞಾನ ಪದವಿ ಪಡೆದೆ. ಕಾಲೇಜಿನಲ್ಲಿದ್ದಾಗ ಆಗಾಗ್ಗೆ, ಅತ್ತೆಯ ಮನೆಗೆ ಹೋದಾಗ, ವಿನಾ ಕಾರಣ ಅತ್ತೆಯು ನಮ್ಮನ್ನು ನಿಂದಿಸುವುದು ನನಗೆ ಹಿಂಸೆ ಅನ್ನಿಸುತಿತ್ತು. ಮನದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಪ್ಪನನ್ನು ನೆನೆದು ದುಃಖಪಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೆ. 1974ರಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ಸಣ್ಣ ಸರಕಾರಿ ನೌಕರಿಯಲ್ಲಿದ್ದೆ. ಸ್ವಂತಗಳಿಕೆಯ ಜೀವನದ ಆರಂಭದ ದಿನಗಳು. ಕೈಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಸು ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ತಾಯಿಗೆ ಕ್ಷಯರೋಗದಿ ನಿತ್ರಾಣ ಉಂಟಾಗಿ, ಅವಳನ್ನು ಮಹಾರಾಸ್ಟ್ರದ ಅಂಬಾಜೋಗೈ ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಗೆ ಒಂದು ತಿಂಗಳು ಒಳರೋಗಿಯಾಗಿ ಸೇರಿಸಿ ಬಂದೆ. ತಿಂಗಳು ಪಗಾರ ಬಂದ ಕೂಡಲೆ ಅಮ್ಮನನ್ನು ನೋಡಲು ಹೋದೆ. ಅಮ್ಮ ಚೇತರಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಳು. ಅವಳನ್ನು ಓಷಧಕೊಡಿಸಿ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದೆ. 

ಇದಾದ ಕೆಲವು ದಿನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ತಂಗಿ ಬಾಣಂತನದಲ್ಲಿ ಗಂಭೀರ ಕಾಯಿಲೆಗೆ ಒಳಗಾದಳು. ಅವಳನ್ನು ಬೀದರಿನ ಖಾಸಗಿ ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸೇರಿಸಿ, ಆರೈಕೆಮಾಡುವ ಖರ್ಚು ನಾನೇ ನಿಭಾಯಿಸಬೇಕಾಯಿತು. ಅವಳು ಚೇತರಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಳು. ನನಗೆ ಉನ್ನತ ನೌಕರಿಯ ಆಸೆ ಇತ್ತು. ಅದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಹೈದರಾಬಾದಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆ ಬರೆದೆ. ಅದು ಸರಿಯಾಗಿ ಆಗಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಅಲ್ಲಿಯವರೆಗೆ ನನಗೆ ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಫೇಲ್ ಅನ್ನುವ ಅನುಭವವೇ ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಇದು ನನಗೆ ಚಿಂತೆಯ ಕಾರಣವಾಯಿತು. ನನಗೆ ರಾತ್ರೀ ಮಲಗಿದರೆ ನಿದ್ದೆಯೇ ಬರಲಿಲ್ಲ.

ನಾನು ಭ್ರಮಿತನಾದೆ. ಇರುವ ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಬಹಳ ದಿನ ಕಳೆದ ಮೇಲೆ ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ಹಾಜರಾಗಲು ಸರಕಾರಿ ನೋಟೀಸು ಬಂತು. ಆದರೂ ಸಣ್ಣ ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗುವ ಮನಸಾಗಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಅಮ್ಮ ಬೈದು ಒತ್ತಾಯದಿಂದ ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡಿದಳು. 

1977-ಅಮ್ಮ ಇಲ್ಲದಾದಳು:

ಅಮ್ಮನಿಗೆ ಮೊದಲು ಬಹಳ ದಿನ ಗಂಟುಮಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಕಾಡಿತ್ತು. ಆಮೇಲೆ ಕ್ಷಯರೋಗಕ್ಕೆ ತುತ್ತಾದಳು. ನಾನು ಭ್ರಮಿತನಾಗಿ ಅಡ್ಡಾಡುವಾಗ, ಅವಳಿಗೆ ನೋಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವವರು ಯಾರೂ ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಕ್ಷಯ ಉಲ್ಭಣಗೊಂಡು ತೀರಿಕೊಂಡಳು, ನನ್ನ ಹೆತ್ತ ತಾಯಿ.

ನನ್ನ ಜೀವನದ, ಹುಟ್ಟು ಸಾವುಗಳ ಮಧ್ಯ ಸಂಘರ್ಷ ನಡೆದಿತ್ತು. ಪುನಃ ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ಸೇರಿದಾಗ, ಲೀವ್ ಸೆಟಲ್ ಆಗಿ, ಪಗಾರ ಬರಲು ಮೂರು ತಿಂಗಳು ಹಿಡಿಯಿತು. ಈ ಮಧ್ಯ ತಾಯಿಯನ್ನು ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡೆ. ಹೆಂಡತಿ ಒಂದು ಹೆಣ್ಣು ಮಗುವಿಗೆ ಜನ್ಮಕೊಟ್ಟು, ತಾಯಿಯ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಇದ್ದಳು.

ಪಗಾರ ಆರಂಭವಾದ ಮೇಲೆ ಒಂದು ಚಿಕ್ಕ ಕೋಣೆ ಬಾಡಿಗೆಗೆ ಪಡೆದು ಪುನರ್ಜಿವನ ಆರಂಭಿಸಿದೆ. ಬಳಗದವರು ನನ್ನ ಹೆಂಡತಿಯ ಊರಿಗೆ ಹೋಗಿ, ಅವಳನ್ನು ನನ್ನಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಕಳಿಸುವಂತೆ ಒತ್ತಾಯ ಮಾಡಿದರು.

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1977-ಹೆಂಡತಿಯ ಆಗಮನ, ಮುಂಗಾರು ಮಳೆಯ ಮುನ್ನ.

1978-ಮಗನ ಜನನ

1979- ಪಿ. ಐ. ಪರಿಕ್ಷೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಜಯಭೇರಿ.

1980-1981- ಸಂಡೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಮಕ್ಕಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ವಾಸ.

1982-ಜೆ. ಇ. ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಜಯಭೇರಿ.

1984- ರಾಯಚೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಜೀವನ ಆರಂಭ.

ಮೂವರು ಮಕ್ಕಳು, ಒಬ್ಬರು ಶಾಲೆಗೆ ಹೋಗುವರು.

1988-ಜೀವನ ಸಂಘರ್ಷ ಎದುರಾಯಿತು. ತಿಳಿಯದ ಹೆಂಡತಿ, ಹಟಮಾರಿ ಅತ್ತೆ ಸೇರಿ ಮನೆ ಒಡೆಯುವ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡಿದರು.

ಈಗ ಅಪ್ಪ, ಅಮ್ಮ, ಹೆಂಡತಿ, ಮಕ್ಕಳು, ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ದೂರವಾದರು. ನಾನು ಒಂಟಿಯಾದೆನು. ಸಂಧಾನದಿಂದ ಮಕ್ಕಳು ಹಿಂದಿರುಗುವಾಗ, ಶಾಲೆ ಆರಂಭವಾಗಿ ಎರಡು ತಿಂಗಳಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಸುನಿತಾ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಉಳಿದಳು. ಹೈಸ್ಕೂಲಿಗೆ ಸೇರುವ ದಿನಗಳು ಮುಗಿದಿದ್ದವು.

1989- ಸುನಿತಾ ಹೈಸ್ಕೂಲಿಗೆ ಸೇರಿದಳು.

1994- ಬೇಸಿಗೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸುನಿತಾಳ ಮದುವೆ ಮಾಡಿದೆವು.

1995-ಪಿಂಕಿಯ ಜನನ.

1996- ಬೀದರಕ್ಕೆ ವರ್ಗವಾದದ್ದು.

ಮಗ[ರವಿಂದ್ರ] ಪಿ.ಯು.ಸಿ. ಮುಗಿಸದ್ದನು. ಸವಿತಾ ಎಂಟನೆ ಮುಗಿಸಿದ್ದಳು, ರಾಜು ನಾಲ್ಕನೇ ಪಾಸಾಗಿದ್ದ. ಅವರ ಮುಂದಿನ ವಿದ್ಯಾಭ್ಯಾಸ ಬೀದರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಆರಂಭವಾಯಿತು.

ಇಸವಿ 2000ದ ಹೊತ್ತಿಗೆ; ರವಿಂದ್ರ ಬಿ.ಎಸ್ಸಿ. ಮುಗಿಸಿದ. ಬೀದರ ನಗರದಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವಂತ ಮನೆ ಕಟ್ಟುವ ಕೆಲಸದಲ್ಲಿ ನೆರವಾದ. ಸವಿತಾ ಪಿ.ಯು.ಸಿ. ಮುಗಿಸಿದಳು. ನಂತರ ಅವಳು ಭಾಲ್ಕಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬಿ.ಇ. ಗೆ ಸೇರಿಕೊಂಟಳು. ಮನೆ ಆರ್ಸಿಸಿ ಕೆಲಸ ಮುಗಿದ ನಂತರ ರವಿಂದ್ರ ಎಮ್ ಎಸ್ಸಿ ಕಲಿಯಲು ಕಲಬುರಗಿಗೆ ತೆರಳಿದನು.

2004-ರವಿಂದ್ರ ಕೆಲಸ ಹುಡುಕಲು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿಗೆ ತೆರಳಿದ. ರಾಜೇಂದ್ರ ಇಂಜಿನಿಯರಿಂಗ ಕಲಿಯಲು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿಗೆ ಹೋದನು. 2005ರಲ್ಲಿ ಸವಿತಾ ಪ್ರಾಜೆಕ್ಟ ಮಾಡಲು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿಗೆ ಹೋದಳು. 

2007ರಲ್ಲಿ ಸವಿತಾ ಇನ್ಫೋಸಿಸ್‍ನಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ಸೀರಿಕೊಂಡಳು. ನವೆಂಬರ್‍ನಲ್ಲಿ ಅವಳ ಮೊದಲ ಸಂಬಳ ನನ್ನ ಕೈಸೇರಿತು. ಆನಂದಭಾಸ್ಪ ಉಕ್ಕಿಬಂತು. ಮೊಟ್ಟಮೊದಲಿಗೆ ಸಂಸಾರದ ಭಾರ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಕಡಿಮೆ ಅನಿಸಿತು, ಅಪ್ಪನನ್ನು ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡಾದಮೇಲೆ.

2008ರಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಜೇಂದ್ರನು ಸಹ ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ಸೇರಿಕೊಂಡನು.

ನಾನು ಫೆಬ್ರುವರಿ 2009ರಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವಯಿಚ್ಚೆಯಿಂದ ಕೆಲಸದಿಂದ ನಿವ್ರತ್ತಿ ಪಡೆದೆನು.

ನವೆಂಬರ್ 2009ರಲ್ಲಿ ಸವಿತಾಳ ಮದುವೆ ಬೀದರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ವೈಭವದಿ ನೆರವೇರಿತು.

ಆಕ್ಟೋಬರ್ 2010ರಲ್ಲಿ ರವಿಂದ್ರನ ಮದುವೆ ಕುಂದಾಪುರದಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಜ್ರಂಭಣೆಯಿಂದ ಜರುಗಿತು.

ಜೂನ್ 2012ರಲ್ಲಿ ಪಿಂಚಣಿ ಹಣ ಬಳಸಿ, ಸ್ವಗಾಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಐದು ಎಕರೆ ಭೂಮಿ ಖರೀದಿ ಮಾಡಿದೆ. ಸಂಸಾರ ಭಾರದಿಂದ ಮುಕ್ತನಾದೆ.

 Muhammad Bin Abdulla:[c. 570–632]

     Muhammad was the prophet and founder of Islam. Most of his early life was spent as a merchant. At age 40, he began to have revelations from Allah that became the basis for the Koran and the foundation of Islam. By 630 he had unified most of Arabia under a single religion.

Muhammad was born around 570, AD in Mecca (now in Saudi Arabia). His father died before he was born and he was raised first by his grandfather and then his uncle. He belonged to a poor but respectable family of the Quraysh tribe. The family was active in Meccan politics and trade.

In his early teens, Muhammad worked in a camel caravan, following in the footsteps of many people his age, born of meager wealth. Working for his uncle, he gained experience in commercial trade traveling to Syria and eventually from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean. In time, Muhammad earned a reputation as honest and sincere, acquiring the nickname “al-Amin” meaning faithful or trustworthy.

In his early 20s, Muhammad began working for a wealthy merchant woman named Khadijah, 15 years his senior. She soon became attracted to this young, accomplished man and proposed marriage. He accepted and over the years the happy union brought several children. Not all lived to adulthood, but one, Fatima, would marry Muhammad’s cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib, whom Shi’ite Muslims regard as Muhammad’s successor.

Muhammad was also very religious, occasionally taking journeys of devotion to sacred sites near Mecca. On one of his pilgrimages in 610, he was meditating in a cave on Mount Jabal aI-Nour. The Angel Gabriel appeared and relayed the word of God: “Recite in the name of your Lord Who creates, creates man from a clot! Recite for your lord is most generous….” These words became the opening verses of sūrah (chapter) 96 of the Quran. Most Islamic historians believe Muhammad was initially disturbed by the revelations and that he didn’t reveal them publicly for several years. However, Shia tradition states he welcomed the message from the Angel Gabriel and was deeply inspired to share his experience with other potential believers.

Islamic tradition holds that the first persons to believe were his wife, Khadija, and his close friend Abu Bakr (regarded as the successor to Muhammad by Sunni Muslims). Soon, Muhammad began to gather a small following, initially encountering no opposition. Most people in Mecca either ignored him or mocked him as just another prophet.

However, when his message condemned idol worship and polytheism, many of Mecca’s tribal leaders began to see Muhammad and his message as a threat. Besides going against long-standing beliefs, the condemnation of idol worship had economic consequences for merchants who catered to the thousands of pilgrims who came to Mecca every year. This was especially true for members of Muhammad’s own tribe, the Quraysh, who were the guardians of the Kaaba. Sensing a threat, Mecca’s merchants and leaders offered Muhammad incentives to abandon his preaching, but he refused.

Increasingly, the resistance to Muhammed and his followers grew and they were eventually forced to emigrate from Mecca to Medina, a city 260 miles to the north in 622. This event marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar. There Muhammad was instrumental in bringing an end to a civil war raging amongst several of the city’s tribes. Muhammad settled in Medina, building his Muslim community and gradually gathering acceptance and more followers.

Between 624 and 628, the Muslims were involved in a series of battles for their survival. In the final major confrontation, The Battle of the Trench and Siege of Medina, Muhammad and his followers prevailed and a treaty was signed. The treaty was broken by the Meccan allies a year later. By now, Muhammad had plenty of forces and the balance of power had shifted away from the Meccan leaders to him. In 630, the Muslim army marched into Mecca, taking the city with minimum casualties. Muhammad gave amnesty to many of the Meccan leaders who had opposed him and pardoned many others. Most of the Meccan population converted to Islam. Muhammad and his followers then proceeded to destroy all of the statues of pagan gods in and around the Kaaba.

 At BVB College Bidar

    The BVB college was about one kilometer away from the main city Bidar. I used to walk daily to my classes. There were three hundred science students for one year PUC course in 1969-70. They were arranged into three classes A, B, and C. I was in class B. all Kannada medium students were in class A. All mixed students were in class B. it contained students from, Marathi, Urdu, and English medium. I took Hindi as my second language and hence was placed in class B. rest of the students who joined a little late were in class C.

We were three boys who used to sit on the front centrally located bench so that we can hear the lecturer in a better way. Mr. Basith, Mr. Madhukar, and I[Tukaram] were the first bench students. In our later life, Basith became a medical officer, Madhukar became a scientist, and I an officer in the telecom department. Madhukar did not write the exam for that year, as he was sick due to typhoid fever. He repeated the same course for the next academic year and he got the first rank at the Karnataka University, Dharwad. He Secured the highest marks ever since the university born. Since he did not appear for the current year, Mr. Basith was the only one first-class student. There were 12 students in second class merit. I was the topper in second class merit with 58% marks. That way I was second to my college in one year PUC Science study. Only 33% of students qualified in the PUC Science.

For the first-year degree course, the students were separated into PCM, and CBZ groups. Among the PCM group, I myself and Miss Joshi Ratna passed in the second division, while the others passed in the ordinary class.

My classmate Mr. Sangappa remained absent for one day and the next day he attended classes. After the class, he asked for the notebook of Miss. Joshi Ratna, and she readily offered it to him. During meals relief, he took me to the top floor room and opened her notebook to take notes of his missing class. I was impressed by her nice handwriting and the up-to-date homework she performed, so nicely. I too made a mind to work hard and be regular in homework. Mr. Dixit Srinivas and Mr. Suresh Kulkarni were my good friends. Later on, Suresh joined Engineering college at Gulbarga and Dixit became a high school mathematics teacher at Karnataka college Bidar. One Mr. Subhash Gauli was appointed for the postal department and worked in HPO Bidar till his retirement.

 Financial problems encountered for Degree:

Financial Source [supply] was cut off for education [as bread earning father was no more in1967]. economic activity collapsed and uncle Nagappa started living separately with his family and children. Mother was suffering from ill-health.

Walked on barefoot to school with a single simple dress to the high school at a neighboring village called Kheni-Ranjol.

Depended on others for financial needs as mother was sick. Begged for necessities but in vain. All the cattle were sold to pay the outstanding loan when father expired.

Begged for Rs 25/- in order to pay the examination fee of SSLC board, from others and faced insulted. Wrote SSLC examination from Bidar center and passed with first-class merit in 1969.

I was first in my class with 67% marks. Mother forced me to marry after SSLC exam in June 1969. it was conducted in the bride’s village Srimandal. In-laws offered 10 grams of a gold ring.

In order To fulfill the desire for higher education, begged relatives [in-laws]  for Rs 200/- and felt insulted when they deliberately denied help for my higher educational needs, though they were capable of supporting. They were greedy village people and lacked the importance of higher education. My brother-in-law was a final year B. A. student in the same college. I took shelter in his room to start with my college life.

Sold 10 grams gold ring which was offered in my marriage, and took admission in the BVB college at Bidar city; without thinking anything about future unseen financial problems.

I had no money to purchase either books or notebooks for college education. Used to borrow books from friends. Mathematics was my most favorite subject. Most of the time I used to spend time on maths problems solving. Someone stole my mathematics notebook, just when it was needed as a reference note for the preparation of annual examination, during summer 1970.

Begged for Rs 100/- to pay the second term fee. It was arranged by a close relative [brother in-law]. very recently he was appointed as a clerk in BSSK Bidar with an initial salary of Rs 100/- per month. My problem was solved temporarily.

Begged for some petty pocket money, to purchase some food needs and was insulted.

For Rs 30/- to be paid as exam fees, begged my maternal uncles. But it was of no use, as they were very poor potters. One uncle gave Rs 3/- and another gave Rs 5/- totaling Rs 8/- only. It was a very frustrating effort. At last, A  person who was known to my father in my native village, helped and arranged for Rs 25/-. This solved problem of that very first year of college life.

Thus I could pay the exam fee and could write the PUC Science annual exam in the 1970 summer.

 I  got through the exam in the second division with 58% marks. I was second to my college in merit, among 300 science students who wrote that year's examination. Only one fellow got the first-class merit from BVB College Bidar.

On my poor economic conditions, I applied for free ship and it was sanctioned and Rs 300/- which I paid to the college as tuition fee, was refunded to me after summer vacation. Thank god, I received the money which was very badly needed. Out Of this money, spent Rs 200/- for next year's college admission fee, for B. Sc. part-one course and thus I could continue my education.

 Based on my merit, Applied for a National loan scholarship through a court affidavit and that too was sanctioned for three years degree course, @ Rs 720/- per year from the Karnataka government. They gave a cheque for Rs 720/- which I then en-cashed in DCC Bank Bidar. I never saw such a large amount in my life as a boy. My hands were shaking with fear while receiving the scholarship money. I was very happy and felt relieved of financial problems. I could now buy books, notebooks, and also medicine for my mother’s illness.

One day I thought to enjoy myself, as I had a lot of money in hand. But I could not understand what to purchase, as I was a simple village boy. I simply spent one rupee to get sweet choklets and was satisfied chewing them leisurely.

During  B. Sc. part-two period, I was living with a Patel family of our village who invited me to live and teach his high school-going sons. Food was served freely in their home but Patel’s sons were time-killers and it became a hindrance for my regular study. Somehow I got through the examination with ordinary merit during that year [1971-72].

Next year I wanted to live alone independently so that I could concentrate on my final year study. I took a room for rent in Harurgeri village near my college. For the degree final year [1972-73], I did not receive loan scholarship payment and was in trouble again. With great difficulty borrowed Rs 200/- from a relative [Mukund Sultanpur] to pay my college term fee. Once, My grandmother Narasamma visited my residence and seeing my trouble, gave her golden nose ring, which I sold and survived in Bidar till the final year examination was over in summer 1973.

Now after examination, it was the time to return to the village, where my mother and grandmother were living. It was famine. Crops failed due to lack of rain. There was nothing to eat in the village home. I had little gold earrings of my childhood which I sold and purchased some essential food grains and departed to the village.

After few days, I was asked to take coaching classes to the children of rich   Mali-Patel of Rekulagi village Mr. Shamarao. He was a landlord. This village being some three kilometers away from Hosakanalli [my native village]. I became a private teacher and I was called “Sir”,  for the first time. I felt elated on hearing this new word for me by the children. They were a rich and well-to-do family and I used to have my morning meals in their home with my students for about one month’s duration in summer vacation 1973. Then they departed to Gulbarga for their regular schooling.

I again went to Bidar in search of some kind of paid work. At last, the PWD divisional officer at Bidar offered me temporary work in the famine relief fund for a couple of months. My salary was fixed at Rs 100/- per month. I made a room in Mangalpet area Bidar. My mother and my wife joined to live with me for some time. After five months my work was terminated and I survived coaching college boys for one more month at Bidar.  Meanwhile, my previous year's loan scholarship was released and I received that amount when I was badly in need of it.

In response to a paper advertisement, I applied for the post of telephone operator in the Post and Telegraphs department while living at Mangalpet Bidar. I was selected on pure merit basis. They trained me for the new job in Gulbarga city for two months [May and June 1974] and posted me to work from Bhalki Telephone Office in Bidar district. Reported for first duty on 4^th July 1974. My first salary payment was Rs 317/-. Thus I became an earning member of my family.