Hanumanthappa...!

On Saturday, Apr 9, 2011 I sent following mail to about 1000 readers under my 'Daily-Mail' by 'Amook Bhartiya' experiment that I ran successfully for about 4 years. Today, after almost 5 years, I thought of sharing it here on my blog with reference to the disquieting incidence that involved Hanumanthappa...!

Dear All,

Good Morning!

We are witnessing a great deal of movement about Anna Hazare’s fast-unto-death and groups and mobs of overnight-patriotic people coming forth to support him. No, I am not being sarcastic or ironic here; I was just wondering do we need more Annas or more Hanumanthappas. Oh, you must not know about Hanumanthappa, do you? Well, I am sure all of you must know Sudha Murthy, at least? Read on…

One bright June morning three years ago, I was reading my Kannada newspaper as usual. It was the day the SSLC results had been published. While columns of roll numbers filled the inside pages, the list of rank holders with their photographs took up almost the entire front page.

Of all the photographs in that morning's newspaper, one boy's photo caught my attention. I could not take my eyes off him. He was frail and pale, but there was an endearing sparkle in his eyes. I wanted to know more about him. I read that his name was Hanumanthappa and that he had secured the 8th rank. That was all the information I could gather. With growing interest I learned that he was a coolie's son. He was unable to study further, he said in the interview, because he lived in a village and his father earned only Rs 40 a day.

Hanumanthappa's postal address was provided in the interview. Without wasting much time, I took a postcard and wrote a letter to him. "We are happy about your academic performance. Do you want to study further? We would like to sponsor you. This means we will pay your fees for any course of study you wish to take up - wherever it may be."

Two days later, he wrote to us in his beautiful handwriting that he would require approximately Rs 300 per month. He had planned to take a room on rent and share it with his friend. The two boys planned to cook for themselves in order to keep their expenses down. I sent him Rs. 1,800 to cover his expenses for six months. He acknowledged my draft without any delay and expressed his gratitude.

Time passed. One day, I suddenly remembered that I had to pay Hanumanthappa for the next six months. I sent him another draft for Rs 1,800. This too was duly acknowledged but I was surprised to find some currency notes in the envelope along with his letter.

"Madam," he had written, "It is kind of you to have sent me money for the next six months. But I was not in Bellary for the last two months. One month, our college had holidays and during the next month, there was a strike. So I stayed at home for those two months. My expenditure during these months was less than Rs 300 per month. Therefore, I am sending you the Rs 300 that I have not used for the last two months. Kindly accept this amount."

Unbelievable but true! Experience has taught me that honesty is not the mark of any particular class nor is it related to education or wealth. It cannot be taught at any university. In most people, it springs naturally from the heart. 

Sudha Murthy

WISE AND OTHERWISE

A Salute to Life

Well, Sudhaji's remark says it all and I am thankful to Sudhaji for introducing us to Hanumanthappa and I feel grateful to Arnab for showing the unpatriotic's their place and proclaiming it on National Television of the largest democracy of the world that 'We are proud of Hanumanthappa and we are ashamed of you...!' Disgracing such parasites might just do the trick that hatred or confrontation cannot, I believe!

A Salute to Life, indeed... Way to go!