Many people have joined their hands with me in my political and social journey. Hundreds of people have extended their unconditional support to me in whatever I did. I am thankful to all of them. Be it taking up renovation of Kudroli Temple or appointing women as priests, many people have stood by me and my social movements.
A Vishwanath‚ Jaya C Suvarna and their family‚ Harikrishna Bantwal‚ Dr B G Suvarna‚ Vedakumar‚ Jayavikram‚ Dayanand Bontra‚ Suru Karkera‚ A Anand‚ Sanjiv Moily‚ Vinuth‚ Narayan Suvarna‚ Padmaraj‚ S H Sairam‚ Raghavendra Kulur‚ Lohith Poojary‚ Harischandra Mangaluru‚ Dayanand Amin‚ Jattanna‚ J Shankar‚ G Ramappa‚ Madikeri Krishna‚ Narasappa Salian‚ Shankar of Kushalnagar‚ Bhaskar M Salian‚ Damodar Kundar‚ Gangadhar Amin‚ Gangadhar Poojary‚ Jagannath Kotian‚ Jyothi K Suvarna‚ Kallige Mahabala Bhandary‚ Kallige Taranath Shetty‚ veteran poet Kayyara Kinhanna Rai and his family‚ L V Amin‚ M B Kuckian‚ Mohan Poojary‚ M S Rao‚ Narasappa Salian and Pushpalatha Salian‚ Nityanand D Kotian‚ Ramesh Kumar and his wife Urmila‚ Rohini Salian‚ Rukamma Salian of Mulki‚ Shankar Poojary‚ Sundar Poojary‚ Suresh Poojary and his wife Santoshi‚ Suru B Poojary‚ Vasudev R Kotian‚ Vijaykumar Shetty and others are very dear to me.
There is decades of history behind the bonding between Billavas of Coastal Karnataka and Idigas of Old-Mysuru region based on their community profession -toddy tapping. Those Idigas settled in Bengaluru region had organized State level conventions, one in Bengaluru in 1958 and another in Mysuru in 1962, with an aim to organise people of the Community. I came into contact with all the leaders after I entered politics. K N Guruswamy, the founder of Prajavani newspaper and K Venkataswamy were in touch with Billavas of the coast since pre-Independence. Guruswamy family had even developed relation with some Billavas. He also came in contact with me. Idigas of Malnad also became friends with me. Former Chief Minister S Bangarappa had already made a name in Politics. H R Basavaraju, D Dasappa, J P Narayanaswamy, M Thimmegowda who struggled to build Idiga Sangha in Bengaluru, Dr Rajkumar, senior politicians R L Jalappa, Kagodu Thimmappa and K G Shivappa, all came in contact with me.
Journalist Dinesh Amin Mattu was in my contact when he was in Delhi. In Mangaluru, my main contact among journalists was Lakshmana Kodase. They have supported me in my social movements.
As I said earlier, Kudroli Temple has become a witness to social change. We have started an awareness Campaign against the practice of making them wear only white sarees, barring them from wearing bangles, mangalasutra and vermillon on their forehead after their husbands death. Many women have taken pledge before Gokarnanatha that they will denounce such practices. I am proud of them. Their small decision will go a long way in eradicating discrimination in society.
Hundreds of such women have been the co-passengers of my political and social journey and to me they look like women of Ideals.
I cannot forget the support of Suma Vasanth of Kodagu, Prema Krishna, Leela Jaya C Suvarna, Santoshi Suresh Poojary, Suru Karkera, Padmini Ponnappa, Shashikala Harikrishna, Veena Achaiah, Saroja Naik, Urmila Ramesh Kumar, Sharada teacher, Sharada G Shankar, Usha Kiran, Kamala Ramappa, Pushpalatha Salian, Rohini Salian, Dharma Vasantha and others.
