श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः
Uneducated Farmer
and his educated unemployed son.
Farmer(Shrungeshwarayya) – My dear son Nagananda, today I must go to
your mama’s (Maternal Uncle) house in Tirthahalli. Pour the water for areca
plants. It is summer. If we do not give enough water for Areca plants
regularly, they will perish soon. In this village Mouli it is very hard to
protect areca plants from the disastrous disease called Tunde Roga. It
was started in Megur decades ago. Now it is spreaded across the Sringeri
Tehasil/Taluk. It is only the prime source of income in this Malnad
region.
Last
year there were so many old areca plantations have perished due to Ele
Chukke Roga across the Malnad. Because of the blessings and guidance of His
Holiness Jagadguru of Sringeri Sri Sharadapeetham we the devotees of Jagadguru
performed a Laksha Gayatri Yajna. So we were able to protect our areca
plantation. Even though we have black Mirch creepers in between our areca
plantation and coffee plantation of 3 acre, still we will be dwarf if we would lose
areca. So I repeat don’t forget to pour the water to areca.
Son – Sorry Dad, I can’t do that. I came to know that one of the
clerical post is advertised in the town panchayat Sringeri. So, I have to go to
Sringeri today. I am going to apply for that job. Why are you suddenly decided
to go there?
Nagananda wants to do the job in Sringeri so that he can get social
respect in his village. There so many people oftenly ask him ‘what are you
doing? You are a rare degree holder in our village. In addition to that, you
studied in JCBM collage’.
JCBM collage is reputed institution in Sringeri. Govt. 1st Grade Collage
is started in Sringeri recently. Still, It has no a sufficient no. of teaching
staff and infrastructure. JCBM collage has its unique identity in Sringeri. So
youths around Sringeri feel proud to study in JCBM Collage. So Nagananda joined the JCBM collage to study
B.A. After completion of B.A. Nagananda wanted to get job in any of the
institution of Sringeri. So he was searching for job. In the beginning he asked
for clerical job in SBI, Canara Bank,
Karnataka Bank, Indian overseas Bank and Bank of India. But every where he was
asked whether he has the knowledge of accounts.
Farmer – You know ? your Mama has called me to join them. Today one of
the groom is coming to his house to get alliance with his daughter Shreya.
Son – So what ? It will be enough to go for betrothal when fixed. Why
are you going now ? You do not have own vehicle. You have to go by walk for 2KM
to Kunchebail or Doddahonne for 3 KM where you get bus to Sringeri. Then again
you have to catch bus to Tirthahalli, which takes to hours. Chittebail is located
three KM away from Tirthahalli. You may take a autorickshaw to go to Chittebail
or opt to walk. Autowala takes not less than 75 rupees. When will you return
back if you start now at 9a.m. today? It is expect hardly to return back at 7pm
today. That means your entire day will be lost for only join them in their
personal celebrations. So I think it is better to attend betrothal of Shreya
instead of getting these much of strain to unnecessary travel there.
Farmer – You fool. Shreya is 21 now. She just completed her B.A. with
minimum percentage of marks. If we bring her to our house, she not only will be
the good life partner for you, but also she will look after all our
agricultural works well.
Son – No dad, I completed my B.A. just 3 years back. My friends will
humiliate me if I get married in this young age. I will get married only when I
get a job in Sringeri.
Nagananda does not want to go Banglore to hunt a job, just like his
friends are doing. He knows his limitations. Actually he was scared when he
went to tour 8 years back. Then he was studying in 10th standard in
Govt Highschool Sringeri. School Headmaster decided to arrange all students a three-day
educational tour to Mysore and Banglore. The then Yeddyurappa Govt had an attractive
plan of Free Educational Tour for school students. So Nagananda got a chance to
visit Mysore and Bangalore. Nagananda was so delighted to visit Chamundeshwari
Temple, Zoo, Palace and KRS Vrindavana Gardens. But during visit to Banglore he
was very much tired. So he could not enjoy any of the sight in Banglore.
Instead he was scared to see crowded areas, all roads jammed with traffic and
huge air pollution.
Nagananda is a
typical Malnad youth. He completed his primary education in a Govt. Primary
school Mouli where he completed his 4th Std. From 5th to
7th he studied in the Govt. Higher Primary School Kunchebailu. This
school is 2 K.M. away from his house. In the Mouli School he had homely
atmosphere. There was a teacher Ambuja from Kadur who was appointed in 1996.
The then education minister Sri Govinde Gowda had appointed thousands of
teachers for primary school across the Karnataka State. So almost all of the
trained (Tch.) candidates selected whoever applied for the post. In malnad
region there was no any training(TCH) collage. So no any malnad man was able to
be trained. Some of them somehow managed to get trained from neighborhood
districts like Udupi, Manglore, Shimoga. And a small number of people are
trained in Chikkamagaluru. So in all the
schools of the malnad region does not have a good number of native teachers
appointed. In the earlier days there was no need of T.Ch. (Now it is called as
D.Ed.) to get appointed in primary
schools. Only 10th Pass certificate with 2 months of in-service
training was enough. So before 1996 appointments, there were so many native
teachers who either trained in neighborhood districts or they might be
appointed even earlier when certificate of T.Ch. was not mandatory. But when
Nagananda entered the Primary School of Mauli there were no any native teacher
found. Ambuja madam was newly appointed teacher only the Head miss of the
school. Shyamala was appointed by School Betterment Committee. She was
completed her PUC in Govt. Junior Collage Sringeri. She has been paid Rs.
2000/- month by School Betterment Committee. Nagananda in his childhood did not
feel infamiliarity in his school because
there were only 12 students were
studying. In the fourth standard Mahesh and Vibha, in third std Lokesh, Jayanti
and Naveen, in the 2nd std Vasanti, Sheela and Sukesh, In the 1st
std Nagananda, Hareesha, Suresha and Mala. He knew very well all of these before admitted
school itself. So he did not scare when he entered to school first time as most
of the children do. Among his schoolmates Vibha completed B.A. in JCBM Collage
and she got married with a Guruprasad M. a High School Teacher of Kammaradi
Govt. High School as soon as her B.A. exams finished. Vasanti got married with
Lacchu who climbs the areca tree to pluck areca in and around Mauli. Sheela and
Mala got married with grooms of Balehonnuru. Jayanti married with Raju who
works in the Goshala of Sringeri Sri
Mutt. Among the male schoolmates nobody is got married. So it also one of the
reasons from Nagananda’s side for denying to get married. In addition to that
Nagananda wants to listen respectfully from his villagers about himself. He
thought that it will only be possible if he gets job in Sringeri. His inner mind is very much disturbed about
his unemployment. So he was trying to get job in Sringeri for three years.
Farmer – I was also thinking about it when you completed your B.A. But
now there were so much of water flown in the river Tunga. It is better to pay
attention on our agricultural land instead of hunting the job in Sringeri.
Son – No dad. I am educated. So I have to work in the city, not in the
farmland. If I do the work in the areca plantation, people will not give me
respect.
Once Raju, Jayanti’s husband who works in the goshala of Sringeri Mutt
told Nagananda, Ayya, why are you not trying to get job in Sringeri Sri Mutt ?
There so many people belongs to your community are working. They need youth
like you to serve Annaprasadam to devotees twice in a day. They are also paying
a good amount of salary which is quite higher than outside the Mutt people are
getting. Besides the salary you will get free meals also.
The villagers always say that such people go to get job in Sri Mutt
those who are not able to get job outside.
So Nagananda does not want to get job in Sri Mutt. He thinks that there
are so many workers in Sri Mutt who have not passed even SSLC. ‘I am B.A. from
JCBM collage’. He feels that he is more educated than any of the worker who
serves prasadam in Sri Mutt. “If I work in Sri Mutt villagers will not respect
me.”
Farmer – Don’t think so, my dear son. Hard worker always gets respect
everywhere. Idle people are not respected in any society.
Son –. Look at my friend Hareesha. He is still studying in Sanskrit
Collage. He always goes to mutt to have
lunch. All the Sanskrit Collage students go there only to have mahaprasadam. I
think they all are go to Sanskrit collage for so many years because Sri Mutt
provides lunch. Look at me I completed my college education within three years.
But after 8 years they are still going to college. Am I look like idle ? I
don’t want to pass the time. So I am trying so much to get job in the city.
Farmer – Its really good my dear. But until you get the job you must do
some work whatever you can. You can do something in our agricultural field.
2
Hareesha is from a middle class agriculturist family. He born and
brought up in his village Suligodu of Udupi District. He studied up to 4th standard in
the Govt. Primary School, Melmata Suligodu. This school was situated 1 KM away from his
house. It is adjacent to Melmata Lakshminarayana Temple of Suligodu Village. So
it is called as Melmatha School(Mitta Shale). He started to go to school with
his two sisters and two brothers when he was in the age of three years. The
sole teacher of the school Venkappa Master does not teach small kids. Kid like
Hareesha sits with his sisters or brothers which doesn’t mater to anybody
including teacher Venkappa Master. When Hareesha was in first standard there
were 8 students in his class. In second standard there were only two students
Anitha and Ashwath. In 3rd standard there were Sudhakara Pujari,
Manjula and
3
Venkappa Master never went to
school before 11.30am. He has 7/8 cows in his Goshala. So he always used to cut
two heaps of grass for them. And 2 heaps of green leaves for bedding of cows in
his goshala. His wife passed away when she delivered Vinay. He had 5 daughters
and five sons. Vinay was eldest one. Venkappa Master loves his daughters more
than sons. He behaves rude with his sons also as with his students. He beats
his students by wooden scale when they unable to understand what he teaches. Sometimes if he
not gets any unbroken scale he used to squeezes ears of students or beats the
cheeks of the students well. So many students frightened to him and deny to go
to school. Because his harsh attitude a very less number of students get admitted to school.
He teaches less to first and second standards but more to 3rd
and 4th standards. When Hareesha was studying in second standard Venkappa
Master wrote down a patriotic song “Vijayee Vishwa Tiranga Pyara” on the black
board and taught how to sing it. In the month of June he wrote it and keep that
for three months. Further nothing he taught for 3 maonths. Hareesha and his
classmates simply glance at the black board and begin to start chat with each
other.
Venkappa Master has a skill of singing melodiously. Actually he is
trained to sing Yakshagana Verses in his early ages only. He sang oftenly Yakshagana verses as Bhagavataru in
the village in several occasions. Bhagavata means one who sings Yakshagana
Verses and total commanding authority of total presentation of Yakshagana Play.
Because of singing skill he used to sing the Kannada poems of each of the
classes nicely. Hareesha and others like it verymuch. He always put emphasis on correct
pronunciation of Kannada letters.
Venkappa Master always wear Dhoti and a towel as upper garment. In the
costal Districts of Karnataka temperature falls always 30*C to 40*C. In
addition to that he works for 3/4 hours in his agricultural land before going
to school. So his body temperature automatically goes high. So he doesn’t want
to wear shirts while going to school. He wears shirt only when he goes outside
the village. Students were very happy to play games in school for long time.
Because he never reaches school before 11.30 am. After noon he reaches after
3.30 pm. He takes the
4
Farmer – You are a graduate. You can understand easily about the
scientific developmental procedures of agricultural sector. We have areca,
black mirch, coffee and paddy in our
agricultural land. We are fallowing the traditional method to grow all of these
items. If you visit the horticulture department and get some scientific inputs
to improve our agriculture, we can grow more and multiply our income in our own
land.
Son – Now I am applying for the Job in Town Panchayat. If I will not be
selected, I will think about that.
Farmer – What salary is offered there?
Son – Rs 5000/- per month.
Farmer – I am paying 600/- per day for my labourers here. If we multiply
it for 30 days what will be the monthly salary of my each labour ?
Son – Still dad it is too difficult to accept. What should I do ?
Don’t worry my dear son. I will hand over one of my newly developed
areca plantation to you. You are responsible to develop that plantation. You
can enjoy the entire yield of that. But one condition is that you have to work
personally by shedding the sweat. If you do like that you can earn 10 times
more money than panchayat offers you.
After ten
months
Farmer – How much yield have you got in this time ?
Son - Dad, 14 quintal of Areca
nut I could yield in this time.
Farmer – Can you say it in terms of rupees ?
Son – About 6.5 Lakhs dad. Besides this I could able to get 3 quintals
of Black Mirch.
Farmer – At what rate have you sold that in market ?
Son - 58 thousand rupees per
quintal Dad.
Farmer – Fine. That means you have earned additionally Rs. 1,74,000/-
What is your gross income ?
Son – 8.24 Lakhs dad.
Farmer – What was your total expenditure in this agricultural work ?
Son - About 2 lakhs Dad.
Farmer – How do you feel now ?
Son – You are really great Dad. You have opened my eyes by virtues and
by providing practical experience with responsibility. Because of you I, not
only able to earn money more, but also I came to know that “work is worship”.
Now I am very much confident that next year I will work more hard. I am sure
that I will be able to earn more than 10 Lakh rupees next year. I will not sit
idle ever. Thank you very much dad. You an uneducated man are a real hero for
educated man like me. Thank you so much.
