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Karnataka
Tributes paid to Nanje Gowda
| The late leader remembered for his advice on water disputes |
HOMAGE: Transport Minister R. Ashok (left), the former Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar, the former Judge of the Karnataka High Court and the former MLC Mune Gowda paying tributes to H.N. Nanje Gowda in Bangalore on Saturday.
BANGALORE: Rich tributes were paid to the former Irrigation Minister H.N. Nanje Gowda here on Saturday.
A function was organised here by the Sri H.N. Nanje Gowda Abhimanigala Vedike.
Speakers praised Mr. Nanje Gowda’s contribution in getting justice from the Cauvery and Krishna river water tribunals and the Centre to provide water for farming and drinking purpose in the State.
The former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Ramesh Kumar, a close associate of Nanje Gowda, said the late leader did not fit into the mould of a politician. He always took care to protect his interest without antagonising any top leader or section of the people, who mattered in power politics.
Narrating an incident in which a senior police officer had addressed Nanje Gowda in singular, Mr. Kumar said the latter could not bear the insult and pain and had telephoned him and cried like a child.
But he had the courage to stand up in parliament and criticise the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the Bofors case which ultimately compelled him to resign from the Congress.
An interesting quality of Nanje Gowda was his secular credentials and he was an agnostic. He always tried to be away from the Vokkaligara Sangha, lest he be identified with that caste and most of his friends were from other social groups.
As an irrigation activist he always advised the governments and not the Chief Minister of the day. Mr. Kumar said he was sad that Nanje Gowda could not reach the level of Gopala Gowda, the socialist leader from Shimoga district.
With the death of Nanje Gowda, he said Karnataka had lost an irrigation expert, who could guide the destiny of the State and its people, especially farmers in matters pertaining to the river water disputes with its neighbouring States.
Transport Minister R. Ashok said the people of old Mysore region, especially the citizens of Bangalore, should be grateful to Nanje Gowda for espousing their cause in the Cauvery water dispute.
Hailing Nanje Gowda as a courageous leader, Mr. Ashok said the irrigation expert had the knowledge of using parliamentary techniques to get the people’s work done.
A. Manju, MLA and brother-in-law of Nanje Gowda, said although he was his closest relative, he never indulged in nepotism, which made him bold to try and contest the Assembly elections successfully. A simple and innocent person, many people took advantage of his traits. Mr. Kumar said that these, however did not have a courtesy to attend his funeral.
A.J. Sadashiva, former judge of the Karnataka High Court, presided over the function.
Endorsing Mr. Kumar, he said that Mr. Gowda had helped the residents of J.P. Nagar in getting a site for the construction of a temple, but rarely used to visit one. Both Mr. Kumar and Mr. Sadashiva said that many people did not know that Mr. Gowda was a good singer and used to quote “DVG`s Mankutimmana Kagga” extensively in a conversation.
His interest in irrigation had not dried up and five days before his death, Nanje Gowda approached the former Chief Justice of India M.N. Venkatachalaiah to discuss about filing an application before the Supreme Court relating the Hogenakkal issue.
The former MLC Munegowda spoke. A. Prasad, vedike convenor, welcomed the gathering.
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