M S Raghavendra
News Karnataka Media Networks
Mysore: H S Shankar Linge Gowda is a veteran politician known to one and all. He is known to bombard the assembly seeking to address different issues. The same MLA Shankar who rocked the assembly and was a popular leader of Mysore faced major setback to his political career, owing to his defeat in the recently held assembly elections that has distanced him from active politics. One faces intriguing question, what is he doing since he is not to be seen in public.
If you go to find out the truth by a visit to Shankar’s home, one finds a farmer in him rather than MLA. He was reelected as MLA for the successive 4 terms and was always busy in politics, but now he is a farmer. He has grown beans in his land that is located in T K Layout, here, harvests 20 kilograms of beans daily and sells it, thereby keeping away from the political upheavals, leading peaceful life.
When I asked him, what is this all about? He says smilingly, I was MLA once…now I am a peasant (one can find agony behind his smile). One will not forget the injustice caused to Shankar who has found a strong foothold in BJP. He withdrew from the party when it faced internal conflicts. His faith in re-electing did not succeed. He was basically hailing from Hemmige village in Mandya district, barn of sugarcane farming. He was born to peasant family of Sidde Gowda and Kempamma. The farming is not new to him, but has to give up farming since he was busy in politics.
Shankar made his political debut by contesting for the post of director in Janata Bazaar. He became councilor in 1983 and mayor in 1988. He contested for the first in assembly elections during 1994 and won. He was re-elected for the successive 3 terms, but faced defeat in the recently held assembly elections.
Shankar is busy working in his farm, irrigating the crop and teaching moral lessons to his handymen. He is happy in the company of nature and workmen. He has constructed a modern old age home in 3 acre plot that can accommodate 80 to 100 inmates. The temple that he had built for deity Lord Venkateshwar is already popular. Meanwhile, it’s a fact that, the farming is helpful to lead peaceful living that is what Shankar Gowda proven.
