A little effort to restore faith in the system

The 10th October last, I had attended the world health day programme organised by NIMHANS, an institution of great repute. In fact, I had  represented the Chief Minister, who deputed me on this assignment. The registrar, Dr Ravi while rendering his vote of thanks had come up with a request. He had put forth an appeal for a shuttle bus service between Victoria Hospital and NIMHANS touching Kidwai, Jaideva and Govt Hospitals that would cater to the need of hundreds of weary Patients.

I assured the Hospital that their truly essential request will be met as early as possible. In the meanwhile, I had taken up the matter with the transport department. And today, I was glad to be a part of the function to flag off that service. My efforts have indeed yielded results. Two brand new buses started their shuttle service between all these hospitals from today.

I could see happiness and little disbelief on the faces of those present in that small, yet meaningful function. Their mixed feelings had a reason too. After all, the universal acceptance of definition of a politician being 'one who shakes your hands before elections and shakes your confidence after elections’ obviously would not have given them sweet feelings.  


This day was different. A promise was met to everyone’s satisfaction.My colleague and Transport minister Mr Ashok and myself inaugurated  the service by helping the patients and children to board in to the buses.. I thank the BMTC for responding to my desire. It was a little effort of trying to restore people's faith on the system. It made  my day.

- S.SURESHKUMAR

CHILDRENS DAY AN EVENT TO RELISH

Sirigere is a tiny village in Chitradurga District. It is a well-known place in our Karnataka, as a religious spot, thanks to immense societal initiatives of Sri Taralabalu Mutt. The pontiff Dr. Shivamurthy Shivacharya Maha swamy, who heads the religious institution, is a university by himself thanks to the enormous literary achievements of him. The mutt runs numerous educational Institutions, especially in Rural Karnataka.  It is a real yeomen service to the rural poor families, whose children are being given quality education, more so the value based education.

Yesterday being former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s Birthday, which is observed all over the country as Children’s Day because of Nehru’s immense love and affection for the children, I was invited to a function organised by ‘SRI JAGADGURU TARALABALU MUTT’. It was truly a programme with a difference. It was Of the children, By the children and For the Children anyway. The Dignitary who presided over the entire function was Ku. Manvitha B Patil.

Who is this person?  It is interesting to know that this very young dignitary is a 6^th standard student in Sirigere’s Higher Primary School.  How she was selected?  In a debate competition held exclusively to select the right person to chair this November-14 occasion, she was the victor. And her victory was really, really, well deserved.

The whole audience consisting children, their Parents and Teachers, were flowered by this young lady’s oratory when without an iota of any sort of inhibitions, Chi Manvitha narrated the purpose of the Childerns Day, and also highlighted in Nehruji’s life in a wonderful manner.

I must have been a witness to nearly thousands of welcome speeches in all my working years, but it was the little girl “PRAKRUTHI’ another 6^th standard student who brought life and meaning to the Welcome Speech, which otherwise will normally be lifeless and just ritualistic. 

I must appreciate that the Talents exhibited by those rural students were in no way inferior to any of our sophisticated, so called 5 star schools.

And the way in which Swamiji who had his education in Vienna (Germany) about 3 decades back, connected himself to the children was something marvellous.  He sang a Nursery Rhyme in German language as he cherished the sweet memories of those 30 years. He translated it to Kannada too, for us to relish.

Yes! It was a children’s Day in the real sense, For the Children, Of the children and By the children. My best wishes for all those young, talented, disciplined students of those rural schools of quality managed by the great Sri Jagadguru Taralabalu Vidya Samsthe. My heartfelt salutes to Swamiji.

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-         S.Sureshkumar

A PHILANTHROPHIC ACT BY SRI HS DORESWAMY- AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO SET THINGS RIGHT!

Every Bangalorean knows about Sri HS Doreswamy the nonagenarian freedom fighter. This most adorable person is one of the conscience keepers of our society. Even at this age of early Nineties, his daily schedule will put many a youngster into shame. Gandhian in true spirit, his righteous anguish filled actions give hope for many.

I had the opportunity of meeting him a couple of days back at my residence. He had brought an unusual issue to me about which he was emotionally very much disturbed. He desired to set right a wrong committed for which her required my intervention.

His elder brother HS Seetharam was also a veteran freedom fighter. In fact, he was one of the first Mayors of Bangalore City, in early nineteen fifties. His son Sri Srinivas had the passion for Bonsai plants and had cultivated nearly a thousand beautiful Bonsai trees. When he thought that these trees for which he had given his life, can be more suitably and safely sheltered in Lal Bagh, he donated these valuable trees worth few lakhs to Horticulture Department. His simple desire was that this Bonsai Park at Lal Bagh be named after his parents. In 2002 in a function held in the presence of the then Minister for Horticulture Sri M Shivanna, a foundation Stone was laid naming the park as HS Seetharam - Padmavathamma memorial Bonsai Park. Srinivas who was popular as Bonsai Srinivas was nominated as the Advisor for this Bonsai Park too. After all this, Srinivas had left for US to stay along with his only son. After his return some time back, he has visited Lalbagh. Only to his chagrin he has found that the Foundation Stone depicting the name of the Bonsai Park after his Parents name had been unceremoniously removed and it was nowhere to be found.

Sri Doreswamy who visited me, expressed his strong displeasure about  the utter disregard shown for this act of philanthropy. Yesterday, I personally paid a visit to Lalbagh and inspected. Sri HS Doreswamy, Bonsai Srinivas, Director of Horticulture and officers were with me. All of us felt the need to take the necessary corrective step immediately. This visit was followed by a meeting in which Minister for Horticulture was also present. We resolved that the foundation stone shall be restored and the park shall be named after Srinivas' parents immediately.

My view is that we can’t become so much insensitive and impassive when it comes to respecting such really great philanthropic acts.

For having contributed those invaluable Bonsai Plants whose value one cannot measure in terms of money, this was the simplest demand one could make. At the end of everything, Bonsai Srinivas remarked 'at last I have reason to smile'.  This outwardly very small incident which brought smiles back on that Donor's face made all of us delighted.

My special thanks to the nonagenarian Sri HS Doreswamy who brought this injustice to my notice and thus gave an opportunity to correct it.

S.SURESHKUMAR