KALABURAGI: Following the death of the son of the soil on Thursday, a pall of gloom descended on Nelogi village of Jewargi taluk, the birthplace of former chief minister N Dharam Singh. Naaga Panchami celebrations took a backseat and most of the shops and business establishments downed their shutters as a mark of respect to the senior Congress leader.
People thronged Dharam Singh Circle, which was inaugurated two years ago, and recalled his simplicity and friendly nature.Radhabai, a relative of Singh, said he used to visit Nelogi every year on Hanuman Jayanti to worship his family deity.
Singh’s last visit to the Hanuman temple was in last February, Radhabai recalls.
Gangamma Goudti, wife of Singh’s close friend Siddanagowda, said her husband and Singh were like brothers since childhood. As Singh was born in a poor family, Siddanagowda used to help him financially. Singh never forgot his childhood friend’s gesture and took him to Bengaluru in the helicopter along with him many times.
When Siddanagowda died in 2009, Singh came from Bengaluru to Nelogi and broke down after seeing the body of his friend, Goudti said. Singh used to visit her house whenever he came to Nelogi and asked Goudti to prepare rural delicacy -- Badanikai Pallya Hulibaana, she recalled.
“The man reached the highest position of the state but yet lived with simplicity and humbleness,” said Siddanagowda’s brother Allamaprabhu Patil.