Dr. Hampana talks about an incident in his childhood that causes laughter

Mysuru: I remember an incident in my childhood, Hampana said, “Wrestling has always had a special place among the traditional practices of Dasara. It is important that such traditional sports continue to be promoted. In the past, wrestling schools (garadi manes) were spread across the state.”

He remembered the year 1948 when he was a 6th grade student in Mandya. “At that time, Mysuru’s famous wrestler Ustad Tiger Ramu was very popular. Inspired by him, I started attending a wrestling school in hopes of becoming a wrestler. I had curly hair then, but Ustad Kalappa from school pointed out to me that my figure was not right with curly hair,” he recalls.

“I shaved my head and returned home where my uncle insulted me and called it inauspicious when my father was still alive. He forbade me to return to wrestling school. I sometimes wonder if a great wrestler was lost because of this incident,” he said, sparking laughter from the audience.

At the end of his speech, Dr. Hampana became emotional as he recalled how much he loved his wife, Dr. Kamala Hampana, missing, who passed away in June this year. Known for her contributions to Jain literature, she also championed the women's and Dalit movements. “We spent decades together and her loss is deeply painful,” he said, dedicating his Dasara initiation to her memory.

Advocates peace, compassion and unity

Dr. Hampana praised CM Siddaramaiah and Dy.CM DK Shivakumar for their resilience in the face of adversity and stressed that life is an area where one has to remain steadfast.

“Meekness is not weakness; Everyone must have the strength to face the challenges. “I pray that the leaders of the Israel-Palestine and Russia-Ukraine conflicts will show compassion and stop the killing of innocents,” he said.

He urged: “Give parents the wisdom to stop female infanticide.” It is disheartening to see the indifference of deities while the powerful oppress the weak. The blockage of the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament is deplorable and it is shocking that girls are still being threatened for attending school.”

“Unemployment is an urgent problem that is causing despair among young people. Those who preserve the land, language and culture of Karnataka are not criminals; They must be treated with respect,” he added.

He concluded: “We must prevent conspiracies to overthrow democratically elected institutions.” The burden on citizens of repeated elections is exaggerated; No political party can stay in power forever. I also pray that the trend of mutual accusations and personal insults in the media will be put to an end and society will be inspired to focus on nation building through productive and progressive thoughts.”