KALABURAGI : When a little known man among the audience sprung up and announced to donate Rs 2,500 for the forthcoming 85th Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelan, many were taken aback. The man, a farm labourer, took the microphone and requested Kannada Sahitya Parishat president Manu Baligar to accept his contribution, as the first one for the meet. All this happened at the preparatory meeting on Tuesday.
The annual meet is scheduled to be held from February 5 to 7 on the Gulbarga University campus. He is Revanasiddappa Pujari, 58, of Yadrami village. Even though he is financially weak, it didn’t deter him from going ahead, like he does in helping the needy regularly at his village.
According to a fellow villager, “Revanasiddappa is rich in heart. Whenever anybody goes to him seeking help, he doesn’t disappoint them.” Revanasiddappa, who had evinced interest in folklore, especially in Dollu Kunita since his childhood, sings at village programmes. He formed Beeralingeshwara Kala Thanda a cultural troupe of his own, comprising 15 artistes from the village.
He owns two acres of land and has a family of seven, which includes his four daughters and two sons, to take care of. He doubles up as an agriculture labourer. He works in the fields of others too and the daily wage of Rs 300 is his source of income. On an average, he earns up to Rs 6,000 per month.
“Ever since I came to know that the district headquarters has been chosen to host the literary meet, I stared saving money from my earning to contribute it for the same. The annual conference is called as the ‘Mother of literature as well as art’. It is the responsibility of everybody to see to it that such conferences should be held frequently to strengthen the cause of the land, art and literature. For this purpose, though I earn little, I have given a part of my earnings to exhibit my love towards art and culture.”