JOIN USThis photograph was taken in 1976 during our BVSc course at Veterinary College, Bellary Road, Hebbal. Devendra Gadappa, the cabinet minister for animal husbandry and veterinary, was the chief guest on the occasion of the student union function when this picture was clicked.
Dr Subbaiah was the director of student welfare, a wonderful person who handled all students’ problems with great sensitivity. He retired as the deputy director of animal husbandry and is settled in Mysuru. Dr Keshava Murthy was my mentor and guru. He was an expert in microbiology and the head and professor of the department.
Dr Thiru Vikrama Rao was a professor of anatomy, a very intelligent and smart person. Dr Veera Narayan Gowda from the department of pharmacology was a quiet person and straightforward in his interactions. Dr Thimmaiah was heading the physiology department while Dr Kamalapur was heading the medicine department.
My friend Raghu Rame Gowda was the general secretary of the student union. Hailing from Chintamani, Kolar district, he retired as the deputy director of animal husbandry, government of Karnataka. He was a very enthusiastic person, especially active in the veterinary council of the Karnataka Veterinary Association.
I travelled all over India for poultry development work and now I work for the Agriculture Skill Council of India as the director of southern region states. Recently, the
Karnataka Veterinary Association felicitated me for my contribution to the poultry and veterinary profession.
I was actively engaged in different activities in college.
I was a student leader, vice-president of the student union and also the editor of the
college magazine.
I shared a good rapport as a student leader with the chief ministers of that time —
Devaraj Urs, Gundu Rao, Bangarappa, Veerappa Moily and also the present Bengaluru city development minister, K J George.
Among them all, Gundu Rao was the most amicable. He considered veterinary
doctors at par with other medical doctors and advocated pay parity during his tenure.
During the 1970s, Bellary Road, where the college is located, was a very peaceful area, truly apt and comfortable for the student community. There was (and still exists) an Air Force cinema hall where the tickets were so cheap that we would regularly go there to watch good movies in both English and Hindi.
Mekhri Circle was one of the places that we would frequent for late night tea, where students could be seen even at 1 am. Before Mekhri Circle, there was a check post of a commercial department, where a few trucks would be parked. I remember Binny Cloth Mills would put up a sale sometimes. Ganganhalli was a small place where one could find a vegetable market and a few stationery shops in those days.
The University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) was also located in Hebbal and one of the great personalities there was Krishnappa, former registrar of UAS. He was a great human being, full of concern for others’ well-being. He helped the poor and the downtrodden people and women from the farming community. Today, everyone
in the state and the country remembers him fondly.
I am proud to be an alumni of Veterinary College which, among many other things,
instilled in me several values and brought me in contact with many noble and selfless people, from each of who I learnt something new.
Dr K Ravi Kumar
(The author can contacted at drravi1955@gmail.com)