The Young Student-Rebel

(ಸಹಪಾಠಿ ಮಿತ್ರರು ಕಂಡ ಬಾಗಲೋಡಿ ೫)

(ಬಾಗಲೋಡಿ ದೇವರಾಯರ ಸ್ಮರಣ ಸಂಪುಟ - ‘ದೇವಸ್ಮರಣೆ’ ೨೦೦೩ರಲ್ಲಿ ಅತ್ರಿ ಬುಕ್ ಸೆಂಟರ್ ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸಿದ ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಯಥಾ ವಿದ್ಯುನ್ಮಾನ ಪ್ರತಿ ೨೦೧೭. ಸಂಪಾದಕ - ಜಿ.ಟಿ. ನಾರಾಯಣ ರಾವ್)

 (ಭಾಗ ೧೦)

- M. Panchappa

Bagalodi Deva Rao joined the BA (Hons) course in English language and literature in the Madras Christian College Tambaram (June 1944). A year earlier I had joined the same course. For a few hours in a week we had common periods. As both of us had hailed from Kannada-speaking areas - he from Mangalore and I from Bellary - our acquaintance grew apace. KS Haridasa Bhat was also our contemporary Kannadiga.

The impression which I have of the student Deva Rao is of a young intellectual with all the appropriate attendant features of mental nonconformity and physical nonrobustness. The latter was strengthened by one or two fingernails to which he had given full freedom to reach out beyond even his own grasp. He was at the top of the class all through.