Shepherd to CM’s post

New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister-designate Siddaramaiah on Thursday recalled the hardships he faced during his early years. He shared how he was forced to discontinue education briefly and tend the cattle to tide through the tough times.

After AICC announced him as the Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah issued a press statement about his life. The statement read, "I was born on August 12, 1948, in Siddaramana Hundi of Varuna Hobli in Mysore district. My family was mainly dependent on agriculture. In the days when getting through matriculation itself was a tough proposition, I was the first graduate in the family."

"I spent my childhood days in Siddaramana Hundi. I was forced to discontinue my education for some time due to difficult circumstances at home and because of which I was asked to tend the cattle. But the teachers of my village school recognised my interest towards studies and helped me directly get admitted to IV standard," he recalled.

He said after his primary and secondary education, he went to Mysore for his college education and obtained BSc degree. "My father wanted me to become a doctor, but I chose a different path. However, destiny had other plans as I went on to follow my own dreams and pursue law,” he noted.

Even after beginning to practice law, he did not completely dedicate himself to the courts. “My mind was always concerned about the hardships of the exploited classes and that was when he came under the influence of socialist thinker Dr Ram Manohar Lohia,” the statement said. As a student, he lived a tough life in a rented room in Mysore. The hardships of those times gave him a deep perspective and have now helped in formulating several schemes for the welfare of the poor and downtrodden, he said.

"I know what trials and tribulations the poor face. I have myself experienced those difficulties. That is why I introduced schemes like Anna Bhagya (providing food grains to the poor for free or at subsidized prices), Ksheera Bhagya (providing milk) and Vidyasiri (providing assistance for education),” the statement noted.

His political life began in 1978 when he became a member of the Taluk Development Board. He was also simultaneously attracted to the farmers' movement. "My entry to electoral politics was through Lok Sabha elections from Mysore in 1980. Though I did not win the election, I was determined to continue my fight and in 1983, I won from the Chamundeshwari LS seat,” he said. “When midterm elections took place for Assembly, I contested as Janata Party candidate and was re-elected and became Animal Husbandry and Sericulture Minister. Later, I was Transport Minister in the cabinet of SR Bommai. In 1989, Janata Party split into two as Janata Dal and Samajwadi Janata Party. I identified myself with Janata Dal but lost in the subsequent assembly elections.”

In 1991, I contested in the Lok Sabha elections from the Koppal constituency and lost. Undeterred, I contested for Assembly as JD candidate in 1994 and won for third time and became Finance Minister in HD Deve Gowda cabinet. There were jibes like “what does a shepherd know about finance?” He said, “I took it as a challenge and later presented thirteen budgets which were hailed by eminent economists. I became the Deputy Chief Minister in JH Patel's cabinet."

"In 1999, Janata Dal split and I went with Janata Dal (Secular). Though lost election in the subsequent assembly election, I had won 2004 assembly election and became Deputy Chief Minister in the Congress-JD(S) coalition government."