Uncle Mahalingaiah....

 

Mali was his pet name, my uncle Mahalingaiah was a gem of a person who has showered lots of care and love on me and my siblings. He was a man of straightforwardness and clarity in his thoughts and deed. He completed his 5 years term as Zilla panchayat member on 10.5.2021.And it was his last day as well on this planet. He succumbed to 2^nd wave of Covid-19. And this dreadful covid has caused havoc in this world,killing many people,dashing off many dreams,snatching many loved ones.

This eulogy is in his rememberence.

Mahalingaiah was  3^rd son to the village  Thimmarayappa an Kariyamma,in a tiny hamlet,termed as salkatte colony,chikkanayakanahalli taluk,Tumkur district. His schooling in village near, did his degree n master degree in Tumkur.He had a very big gang of friends,during his stay in hostel. Sometimes he was also a terror to people who gave tough time to him or his friends or relatives. He had leonine voice, always ready to fight for cause,in him there was a streak of politician ambition. This made him to contest for MLA elections,as a independent candidate in his youthful days. Then the convoy of cars, entered the village, carrying the incumbent MLA and his supporters to request Thimmarayappa( my grandfather) and Lakshmaiah (my dad ,elder brother of mali)to persuade Mali to take back the Forms he had filed for assembly elections. My father had to convince my uncle not to contest,because it was the last time the present old MLA was contesting and he didn’t want to loose. Mali had rebelled in house for his own kith an kin stopping him from contesting. Years moved on he fell in love with my aunty Puttalakshmamma and had two sons Madhu and manu (my cousins).

He had also picked up Kabbadi as a sport in college days,he had represented Karnataka in National level Kabbadi game.And was one of the tough guys difficult to surmount by the opponents.Our house in Bangalore had few trophies of his championship of Game. And this same sport made him to enter the Department of customs and central excise under sports quota. He enterted as Inspector, during this time , all my brothers have fond memories. He used to visit us fortnightly,bring us bunches of chocolates and eatables. And we had a pleasure of rounds in his white bajaj chethak,and the rounds would end with some coins and notes into our pockets as pcket money.He frequently used the term “Hopeless fellow” and used to thunder to make us quiet when we brothers quarrel. He served in many districts, retired as Superintendent of Cutoms and  central excise. During his last posting he was in Bangalore International Airport, his prized catch was a rural keralite,boarded to srilanka who had stuffed gold biscuits,through his exertnal orifice. Some 1.5 kilos of gold biscuit, caught by my uncle ,made him more famous in his professional circle. Stories to listen,how the culprit was made to open up, in my uncle voice ,we used to wait, and cherish those moments. He thoroughly enjoyed his stint in department. Few months to retire he quit voluntarily to contest election,to try his long time ambition. In 2017 he became a ZP member with leading votes, he was creative member in the Zilla Panchayath voicing for the needy, pulling out corruption one after other, appearing in print media almost alternate day in Tumkur. Every one feared him because he used his department experience to nail the corrupt, bring out evidence to shut the opponents.He was sought after by members of his party at times of crisis. At times he would make the well learnt MLA Madhuswamy,present minister to silently listen to him in public meetings,such was his oration,clarity and fearlessness when he caught an issue. In last few years he brought many developments to our tiny village, was preparing for a lung space of 2 acres of land, converted into a park.He had taken refuge in Shiridi SaiBaba,in his name was his house, farmland name Sai kuteera,Supplied water to village through shri Sai water supply,tanker.In him many wellwishers and fellow ZP members saw a probable assembly candidate in coming election, but he has finished his journey resting in the soil of sai kuteera , a dream farmland which he has developed in our village.

Many stories to remember, which all not know of him, he was a bonded labourer till his 12yrs of age, had directly been admitted to high school,how hard he might have worked to achieve the scholastic benchmarks which he missed toiling in his landlords house. He successfully crafted his destiny,to accomplish all his dreams from scratch,standing by the brothers and sisters and family. Rest in peace dear ayya,we will  miss you, miss your jovial call "yeno magane",you were the hope and strength to many.