By Rajkumar Bhavasar
I am not a November Kannadiga. I am 365 days, 24x7 Kannadiga and I am proud to be born a Kannadiga,” is the strong message that this man in uniform sends. The man in uniform, who is a bus conductor on route no. 94 K/5 in the KSRTC Mysuru City Bus service, is also called ‘Kannada Conductor.’ His name Thyagaraj also reflects the sacrifice, service, passion and the commitment he has for the cause he is espousing — the spread of Kannada language in his own unique way. The chant of Kannada, Kannada... is not something new. The Gokak agitation launched on April 2, 1982 gained momentum after matinee idol Dr. Rajkumar assumed leadership. The then Congress government headed by R. Gundu Rao accepted the recommendation made by the Gokak Committee to provide First Language status to Kannada. Kannada organisations celebrated “victory” on July 27 that year. If one is committed to a cause, he also has to walk the talk. Thyagaraj believes in setting his house in order first. He works in the first or second shift. As soon as he gets up in the morning, he invokes Kannada Mathe Bhuvaneswari’s name and as he steps into the bus, chants ‘Kannada Mathege Jayavaagali’ (let there be victory for Kannada mother Bhuvaneshwari) and starts his daily work.
