Why no Poets are penning poems to Stall World War Three: BR Patil

BR Patil

Bheemanagouda Ramanagouda Patil popularly known as BR Patil is a retired Professor of Education from the Government B Ed College in Dharwad. He originally belongs to Hirebagewadi, one of the two biggest villages after Yellur in Belagavi Taluk. Now in his 96th year, he continues to enjoy a robust healthy life with clear vision and audibility. He has a disciplined schedule and a limited but proper diet at specific periodic intervals. Interaction with him hints at the tremendous energy he is overloaded with. 

Even at this age, he keeps recalling and reciting the 200-odd vachanas he had penned several decades back. Although due to the age factor, he keeps repeating the same subject frequently that’s no hindrance to stating clearly what he wants to express candidly! In a freewheeling chat, he opens up in an amazing manner for any personality at such an age and stage in life. You may not feel like agreeing to his views on a variety of subjects, yet what looks astonishing is his non-comprising stance of remaining committed to the same even at this ripe age. Usually, people tend to change, introspect and transform their likings, opinions and thoughts over a period of time. Interestingly, nothing changes in the case of BR Patil and more than that he remains committed and continues to defend vociferously on what he thinks it to be right from his perspective.

Here are some excerpts:

Q: Looking back, what do you feel about your journey so far and the accomplishments all along the way?

BR Patil: It’s a failure, a total failure. There are neither achievements nor any accomplishments to boast of.

Q: Why do you feel so?

BR Patil: My blunders are innumerable or rather Anantha Koti (several crores) in numbers. I belong to Hirebagewadi nestled in between Dharwad national and Bailhongal state highways in a strategic place. Despite its significant location, unfortunately, no one has strived enough for the development. Then it was just a big village and nothing significant to mention about it to recall. However, there were stalwart teachers worth mentioning at that period of time. My father and Shi Bu Patil, who were residing before our house, were great teachers. Shi Bu Patil used to gather information on several subjects from my father and both of them were quite well-known teachers. My father was an introvert and a philosophical thinker. He always used to think aloud and used to guide me regularly. My father’s idea behind sharing his life experiences was that they should also be beneficial to me in my journey of life. However, from the societal perspective, my Dad was made fun of as a ‘lunatic’ and dubiously known as ‘Huchha Ramangouda’.

Q: How come he was termed as a mentally ill person?

BR Patil: He was a third-year trained teacher and an intelligent person having written four books. Vyakarana Vruksha on grammar, Ganitha Bodhini on Mathematics, Basha Shastra on Linguistics and Ankalipi on the significance of alphabets, were the four books.

Q: In spite of writing so many books, why then he was termed a mad individual?

BR Patil: In fact, he was ridiculed as a maniac, not for any such symptoms. He was least bothered by materialistic and domestic considerations nor had any inclinations like mine, my family’s, selfishness, didn’t crave to make money nor aspired to become famous. Such usual thoughts never occurred to him. One can notice in the vachanas of Sharanas’, Loka yemba mayege sharana chaaritrya marulaayitu. It roughly means that to all people behind the name, fame, money and material prosperity the noble characters of philosophical saints or Sharanas make them look like fools…

… 200 Vachanas: I have written about 200 vachanas on Sharana philosophy and Basavanna over a period of time, thanks to perfect grooming by my father, have developed mastery over the language. In fact, these philosophical poems are no less in poetic quality in comparison to all the well-known poets you could know. K. V Puttappa had come to the Kurubara B.Ed College in Belagavi. Then I questioned him about the rationale of his version of Ramayana when already any number of people had written enough numbers of their own perceptions.

Q: Have you published the vachanas’ penned by you?

BR Patil: No, I haven’t published them as I am not interested in publicity. But, if you ask me what I have achieved in life, I have been able to instil life among thousands of my students and that perhaps is my greatest achievement. I can say with contentment that I have succeeded in imbibing revolutionary ideas, and in-depth knowledge of Mathematics and Linguistics among my students. I can proclaim without any hesitation that all my students have benefitted in a big way from me.

Q: Can you please enlighten us about your stint in the B Ed College?

BR Patil: When I joined the B Ed College as a faculty member, people who had completed more than 20 years of service had also enrolled as students. On the very first day, I invited queries from the students on all possible subjects like Literature, Religion, Politics, Mathematics etc. They were given a wide choice of subjects to quiz me. Many of them posed their queries and immediately I answered them to their satisfaction. Two of my colleagues had come into the classroom to introduce me to the students. Once the class got over, both of them who happened to have done schooling and college education with me pleaded-“Gowdra, you have been blessed by God’s grace with an abundance of wisdom. If we were to do just like you asked the students to pose whatever questions they had we will end up in a sorry state of affairs. So, we appeal to you not to give such lenience to the students anymore”.

Q: Why such a predicament? Did they not have answers to all doubts of the students?

BR Patil: No, they had studied whatever was prescribed in the syllabi and accordingly taught the students. In a way, they were Tutors for the sake of salary. On the other hand, I was a revolutionary teacher in my own way.

Q: What you did do during your service in the B Ed College and for how many years you served the institution?

BR Patil: I served the College for 21 years and have the satisfaction of having imbibed life in my students. I just did not teach Mathematics’ but dealt in detail with the universe, third world war, brick batting, political ruckus and likewise. Whenever some students reminded me about the portion I used to hit back saying that there is no dearth of Professors dealing with the portion but not anyone throwing light on a variety of subjects. Only revolutionary ideas provoked me to deal with the pupils.

Q: What would you like to say about your students’?

BR Patil: Many of them inculcated revolutionary thoughts as I tried to infuse life among them.

Q: How many students you might have taught?

BR Patil: In the B Ed College, maybe around 2,500 people. There used to be about 100-150 people every year and about 350-400 people had come from the Mysuru region for some training. I had about 11 years of service in the GA High School of Belagavi. This Prabhakar Kore (Chairman, Karnataka Lingayat Education (KLE) Society), was my student. SB Sidnal, who became an MP, was my student. Green towel Babagouda Patil, who became an MLA, MP and Union Minister, was my student. Ajjanna Mamani, paternal uncle of the deceased Savadatti MLA Anand Mamani was also my student…

…Great love, admiration and devotion: The students had great love, admiration and devotion towards me. Ajjanna Mamani’s health collapsed all of a sudden and in no time, they summoned me. His health had deteriorated to such an extent that he was not even able to get up and sit on his own. They provided me with a chair before him to sit on and suggested to stretch my legs on the bed. He was a big person to the whole of Savadatti town, and in the forefront of all affairs and senior even in age as well. But, he bowed to my feet even at such a critical stage of illness. I had not helped him in getting a Degree, Ph D nor a job, but had only taught him English till the third standard. But the gratitude expressed by him is extraordinary in whatever way you look at it. I liked my students without any precondition or consideration and loved them immensely even more than my own children. Perhaps such characteristics and mannerisms continue to bounce in leaps and bounds to date.

Q: What about the number of students who followed your thoughts, teachings and adhered to your own way of leading a life?

BR Patil: The world now has become too practical to be emotional and ideal. As informed earlier, Babagouda Patil was my student and I can proudly claim that his revolutionary ideas were initially sowed by me in his student days. SB Sidnal, who later became an MP, was my student. Likewise, Ajjanna Mamani who showered lavish praises and utmost devotion even in his own critical health was my student. In a way I was a tough guy; maybe with a small physical body but overloaded with revolutionary ideas like a hardcore terrorist!

Q: Did your peculiar attitude of advocating everything but for the portion drive you into any unheard problems at any point of time in your service, as you talked about everything but for the portion?

BR Patil: never; no one had the guts to question me. I only kept on asserting that there is no dearth of people teaching the syllabi, but not even one on what I dealt with in the class. I rejoiced in talking about revolutionary ideas. Although I did my M Sc in Mathematics, my ability in the Kannada language was far far superior to any renowned poet or writer. Perhaps this capability was passed on to me by my father genetically. My poetry was no less than your so-called great poets. I have criticized even the great poet D R Bendre in one of my poems:

Bari Bhashe Baredavaru Vara Kavigalenisiharu

Klupta Patikigale Dharmada Adhidevategalu

Henadavanu Henakaluva Korava Kaasige aluva

Savajagava yeri kuniyatiharu

Hosa Kavite Kattuthiharu

Q: So, what do you expect a poet to do?

BR Patil: If you ask me what a poet should do; please listen to another poem of mine:

Andige Andige Jagavu

Yedurogondiaya Tavaka

Bilipa Patahava Parihara Torabeku

The job of a poet should be to find solutions to the problems being faced by the world. One should not stoop to the level of claiming oneself a poet just by penning a few poems. A poet should be large-hearted with a global outlook, possess sacrificing nature, and have love towards the poor, downtrodden and exploited sections of society. Only then one can become a poet. Why no poet isn't penning any poems to stall World War III?

Q: You mentioned having written revolutionary poems that imbibed revolutionary ideals among your students. Looking back, what do you feel?

BR Patil: I have a feeling of satisfaction. I just did not end up teaching Mathematics to the students but also enlightened them about the evils plaguing society, woes of poverty, political conspiracy, anarchy, and turmoil within the country and elsewhere across the globe.

Q: You have been mentioning dealing with everything else other than the prescribed portion. In what way did it help your students?

BR Patil: In fact, it has helped many a student. Babagouda Patil inspired my ideas to start in the initial days of his political career. There are many people who benefitted from my out-of-syllabus classes. However, the fact remains that whatever I preached is all blessings’ from my late father. He wrote four books in 1935 when I was merely eight years old boy. His books which had also become textbooks were being dispatched to adjoining districts in huge trunks, which I remember to this day. Even I have written two books, ‘Halligara Yelige Saadhisuva Bage’ (Prosperity of Villages Way Forward)’, which was published by Karnataka University, and ‘Indu Bekaada Shaikshanika Kranti (The Educational Revolution for Today)’.

-Manohar Yadavatti