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The single biggest donation of the Yatra came from octogenarian V S Krishna Iyer at Gandhi Bazaar in Basavanagudi. A former MP, minister and freedom fighter, Iyer donated Rs 20 lakh via the National Co-operative Bank, which, he is director of. The first donation of the Yatra too came from a senior citizen S M Rangaiah, who contributed Rs 10,000 towards the relief fund.
Rangaiah, a resident of JP Nagar said that anybody who had a heart would feel the need to contribute towards the cause and it is very important to act on that emotion. He added, “I have dropped a cheque of Rs 10,160 because I know that it cannot be misused. I intend to contribute to the relief work in Andhra Pradesh too.” Narayan, another retired septuagenarian gave away Rs 7,000 towards the relief fund.
Auditing
The CM too urged the people to contribute generously through DDs and cheques and assured that the funds will not be misused. He added that the donations collected for relief will be audited and the people who have contributed can rest assured that both cash and kind will reach the needy.
Even as bystanders, shoppers and vendors played their little roles in the effort to rehabilitate and revive the districts devasted by flood, traders and residents’ associations made big donations.
The Jayanagar Merchants Association contributed Rs 1.5 lakh towards the relief fund and the Jayanagar Federation, an umbrella organisation of residents welfare associations of Jayanagar too mobilised its residents to contribute generously.
Other significant individual donations came from a Jayanagar trader Manohar Bhandary, who contributed Rs 1 lakh and Dr K R Parahamsa of the AMC College contributed Rs 5 lakh. Many also contributed in kind with grains, utensils, blankets and other household appliances.
The Yatra, which began at the Ganesha Temple at Jayanagar, went around the shopping complex followed by the Banashankari BDA complex and the Gandhi Bazaar area of Basavanagudi. Also present at different stages during the Yatra, were ministers R Ashok, Katta Subramanya Naidu, Vishveshwar Hegde Kageri, Gulihatti Shekar and local MLAs and MLCs.
Yatra to continue today
Continuing the relief fund collection drive, Chief Minister Yeddyurappa on Friday will venture out to the western and northern parts of Bangalore covering Yeshwanthpur, Malleswaram, Mahalakshmi Layout and Rajajeshwari Nagar.
The drive will commence at Ganesha Temple in R T Nagar at 10:30 am, IT Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu who represents the Hebbal assembly constituency said.
When less becomes more
It took all sorts to make Chief Minister Yeddyurappa’s donation Yatra both effective and entertaining. Donations came pouring in as artistes, theatre personalities, politicians, hawkers, cricket fans, transsexuals and many more contributed their mite to the massive disaster relief efforts on in the State.
As the CM’s motorcade rolled through the bazaars, the distinction between the hawker and the trader and the artisan and the artiste blurred. Kuppamma, a hawker, who earns a profit of Rs 75 a day, parted with Rs 25 for flood-affected North Karnataka. She said although she did not understand what she was contributing to, she knew it was important. “If the Chief Minister is coming to the people to collect money then it must surely be important,” she said.
Noble gesture
Eminent theatre personality Master Hirannayya, who met the CM’s motorcade at Banashankari, immediately agreed to stage plays and perform throughout the State to raise money for the flood victims. A group of transsexuals, which came in the path of the Yatra, too offered to contribute their bit to the fund by dropping a portion of their collections too. Actors Ramesh Bhat, Tara and Srinath too made an appearance and lent their helping hands by contributing to both the fund and canvassing for it.
Unlikely heroes
Contributions also came from other unlikely sources as cricket fans from South Africa, who were shopping in the markets of Gandhi Bazaar. Rassi Erasmus and John Otto, both fans of South African cricket franchisee Cape Cobras expressed their solidarity with the flood victims by donating. Otto said, “We are here to support the Cape Cobras in the Champions League 20:20 but we got to know of the floods in the State. Everybody understands human suffering and we have to do our bit.”