March 15, 1958: A Star Was Born—Ravi Belagere! And, to mark his 66th birth anniversary, Rays Preschool and Day Care School, in Rajarajeshwarinagar, Bangalore, under the banner of Ravi Belagere Education Trust and founded by Yashomathy, Ravi’s wife, is to be opened this year, and is in the process of becoming fully functional.
Yashomathy, did not know who Ravi Belagere was. His name did not ring a bell, nor that of his newspaper. She did not even imagine the rigours of a working journalist’s life—the late meals gulped down at unearthly hours; the wake-at-dusk/sleep-at-dawn routine; and the breaking news that kept editors and reporters wide-eyed even in the dead of night.
She only knew she had to grab that graduation degree. So, she took the job. It opened up doors to an entirely new universe for her. She well knew that she was treading on perilous, uncharted territory. But she was unflappable in her resolve—to invest in a sound education! And Ravi—then Editor of the Kannada-language tabloid, Hai Bangalore, and fortnightly magazine, O Manase—took her under his wings, mentoring her to learn the ropes of a vocation that was as intricate as it was exciting!
As Yashomathy gradually became acquainted with the vast range of the newspaper’s contents—with its extensive coverage varying from politics, to crime and technology; from science to satirical columns, novels and poems; and from sports to gossip columns on society and film celebrities—each aspect familiarized her with a kaleidoscope of depth and dimension. But, notably, it was the blanks that shed light on Ravi’s life, the Khaas Bath column, as well as the songs he penned for the Lavalavike column, and the insights he shared in the Bottom Item, apart from Papigala Lokadalli, which was about the underworld—which progressively unravelled an entirely new world for her.
Succumbing to the allure of his eloquent expressions, the charm of his instant witticism and the volatility of his persona, which were as hypnotizing as his literary creations, and gradually discovering the nuances of his character, their professional association evolved seamlessly into friendship, blossomed into love, and culminated in marriage. This progression, while enriching their lives, positioned themas subjects of societal judgment and exposed them to disparagement. But they paid no heed to idle talk—the world was theirs!
Ravi was born at Sathyanarayanapete, Bellary, on March 15, 1958. His high school education was from Siddhaganga High School, Tumkur, for couple of years. Later, he did his Master’s in History and Archaeology from Veerashaiva College, Bellary. An ardent fan of Khushwant Singh, although Ravi was drawn to Leftist ideology, he had no overt political leanings.
Ravi started out as a lecturer in History, teaching in different towns—Bellary, Hassan and Hubli—before he settled in Bangalore in 1984. His Bangalore debut saw the launch, on September 25, 1995, of his own newspaper, Hai Bangalore, which he published from his Padmanabhanagar office in the city. The newspaper was the largest-circulated in the state for over five years. This success saw the launch of his magazine, O Manase, which spoke of the troubles and foibles of young people. Later, he produced programmes for television, besides acting in several movies and directing one.
But her husband’s health started failing, partly because of work-induced stress. It resulted in his untimely break from his job, burdening Yashomathy with all the worldly responsibilities, and leaving her grappling with profound questions about what her future would be like. However, all through her ordeal, she remained steadfast in her commitment to her job, facing all the challenges that life threw at her with equanimity. Then, death claimed Ravi, plunging Yashomathy into solitude and vulnerability while raising their 12-year-old single-handedly.
Sad and shaken, but undaunted, Yashomathy launched the Yashaswi Academy, offering art, music and dance classes and wrote a column for Vishwavani, receiving critical acclaim. She compiled these articles in book form under the auspices of Ravi Belagere Publishing House. She also founded Rays Preschool and Day Care School, in Rajarajeshwarinagar, Bangalore, under the banner of Ravi Belagere Education Trust.
Yashomathy took up several cultural initiatives on behalf of the Ravi Belagere Literature and Cultural Academy. Her vision is to, someday, establish the Ravi Belagere Kalabhavan in the memory of her revered husband and set up an award in the name of Ravi’s mother, Belagere Parvathamma. Yashomathy would often ponder why her name both began and ended with ‘Y’. Her resolute stance was, “Why not?” Without the back-up of finances, landed property, or reputation as great as her husband’s, her strength to face life’s challenges lies in love, perseverance and hard work.
Yashomathy has one piece of advice for all those who think they have lost their way to a happy and fruitful life: ‘Follow your faith with unwavering dedication and consistency, and success will surely crown your efforts’.
(The author Girish Linganna of this article is a Defence, Aerospace & Political Analyst based in Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. You can reach out to him at: girishlinganna@gmail.com)
(Views expressed in the article are of author’s own and do not reflect the editorial stance of Business Upturn)
