Karnataka   

Posh school for poor opens

Staff Reporter

Leaders stay away from inauguration of Chennigappa’s pet project

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

Ambitious venture: The residential school for orphans and destitute children, managed by Sri Maruthi Seva Samithi Trust headed by Minister for Forests C. Chennigappa, was inaugurated at Byranayakanhallipalya near Nelamangala on Friday.

BANGALORE: Dozens of huge display boards and arches bedecked with flowers and garlands welcomed political and religious leaders along the route to the humongous rainproof shamiana for the inauguration of a posh but free school for orphans and destitute children at Byranayakanhallipalya near Nelamangala on Friday.

Some 50 huge fans and hundreds of serial lights kept the interiors of the shamiana well-lit and ventilated, and 101 yatis (minor religious leaders) were seated on one side of the dais, which together had some 250 chairs for the dignitaries to grace the occasion. On one side were several boxes of shawls and many big baskets of garlands and mementoes to be handed out later. Loads of fragrant flowers decorated the buildings and the path.

The mover and shaker behind the institution that hopes to provide free residential schooling and the function was Minister for Forests and Koratagere MLA C. Chennigappa. Along with the invitees, he too waited for the galaxy of leaders billed to attend it. But a number of them, including former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and a host of Opposition leaders such as N. Dharam Singh and H.K. Patil, did not turn up. Two hours into the programme, the press was told that Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa was likely to come.

Two Ministers who made it were N. Cheluvarayaswamy (Transport) and G.T. Deve Gowda (Cooperation). They spoke of Mr. Chennigappa’s noble intentions and hoped that the school would help the poor and the downtrodden. Manjunath Kunnur, MP, too was present.

On his part, Mr. Chennigappa expressed his desire and commitment to do ‘aliluseve’ (a little service) for the people. Having gone through a bad phase as a child, he did not want children to suffer. He said his Trust, which runs the school, had been able to spend some Rs. 200 crore.

Among the religious leaders, only the seer of Suttur Math, Shivarathri Desikendra Swamiji, was there to bless the occasion.

The swamijis of Adi Chunchanagiri Math and Sri Siddaganga Math and the Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala were conspicuous by their absence.

The villagers and visitors, however, had a gala time. They had a hearty meal of pulao, curd rice, bhajjis and sweets under an equally big shamiana close by.

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