penning progress!

An ardent seeker of truth and a well-known leader of the Indian National Congress from Karnataka M. Veerappa Moily is an important General Secretary of Congress. Already holding the posts of Chairman (cabinet rank) of the Administrative Reforms Commission, he was also the Chairman of the Oversight Committee on OBC quota. Moily has been given charge of the states of Andhra Pradesh and Assam and is also the Chairman of the Group to look into Future Challenges; the Media Department; the Department of Policy Planning and Coordination (DEPCO) in the AICC. It was not difficult to see how Moily, the intellectual-politician with his varied experience would benefit the State in his new role. Born at Moodbidre in Karkala Taluk of Kannada on the 12th of January 1940, Moily grew up in very humble surroundings. He completed his education at the Government College, Mangalore and obtained his B.A. degree in 1962. He attended the Government Law College and took his B. L. degree in 1966. In 1969 he practiced law independently in Karkala and in a short span of time carved out a niche for himself. He came to the rescue of the long exploited tenants of the surrounding villages of Karkala and earned the epithet "Friend of the tenants". He founded the Kisan Sabha over three decades ago which now stands as a tower of strength for the poor and exploited farmers. The organisation later served as a launching pad for Moily's entry into politics. In the elections to the Mysore Legislative Assembly, held in March 1972, Moily secured a whopping majority of 67.73% of the votes from the Karkala Assembly constituency on a Congress (R) ticket. Later he was included in the Devraj Urs Ministry as a Minister of State for Small Scale industries (1974-77). During his tenure the Karnataka Handloom Development Corporation(1975), the Karnataka Handicrafts Development Corporation, Leather Industry Development Corporation (Lidkar) and the Karnataka State Electronic Development Corporation (KEONICS) came to be established. It is largely due to his pioneering efforts that Bangalore today is considered as Silicon Valley of India. Moily was later made the Minister of Finance & Planning (1980-82) in the R.Gundu Rao ministry, where he was instrumental in the progress of the backward classes in many ways. His term as Finance Minister is recounted as one of increasing prosperity and progress. It was he who, in order to promote Kannada films, devised a new scheme of extending 50 percent tax concession to Kannadda films only within the State. Moily played a significant role in setting up the Mangalore University in Dakshina Kannada and was also responsible for the establishment of Chamarajendra Academy of Visual Arts in Mysore City. In the Assembly elections held in Jan 1983, Moily secured 51.85% of the votes and was made Leader of the Opposition as the Congress (I) was defeated in the state. In the Assembly elections in 1989 the congress staged a remarkable comeback and this time, Moily was re-elected from his home constituency Karkala as Minister of Law & Parliamentary Affairs, Information and Tourism and Youth Services and Commerce and Industries (1989-90). The reshuffling and expansion of the ministry that followed sent Moily as Minister of Education and Parliamentary Affairs. During his tenure as Minister of Education, a large number of primary schools, government and private high schools, government and private pre-university colleges were sanctioned by him and this generated employment and provided educational opportunities to a sizeable number of citizens of Karnataka. He was also instrumental in establishing the Kannada University at Hampi for advanced learning in Kannada. After the resignation of Bangarappa as Chief Minister of Karnataka in 1992, Moily was called upon to succeed him. Moily, as CM of Karnataka was immensely popular and admired by all. Almost immediately after taking over his new appointment, Moily swung into action and made amendments to increase the revenue from excise. He also introduced several literary programmes for achieving total literacy in the state. Schemes to provide nutritious food, milk, uniforms and books to the poor primary school students came into force. It was during his tenure that Karnataka Government Open University of Mysore and the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences were established in Karnataka. Kannada became the communication language in courts, state government offices and enterprises, aided institutes and organisations and in universities. He introduced 33% reservation for women because he keenly felt that feminisation of politics was necessary for development and value based politics. Moily's concerns for the oppressed and a magnificent gift of language have found the right fit in his works. He is a poet, a dramatist, a novelist, and a great man of letters whose writings have echoed his thoughts and tugged hearts of the readers. His earlier writings "Mathe Nadeyali Samara" and "Suligatte" depict social bias and his novel 'Sagara Deepa' is about the exploited fisher folk of the coastal areas of Karnataka. His dramas 'Milana Premavendare' and 'Parijata' have interesting social themes and 'Kotta' the most popular work of Moily, about the life of the forest dwelling Koragas, has earned much acclaim. In 2001 a collection of his articles, "Musings on India" was published. Moily's flair for penning poetry is evident in his two collections 'Joteyagi Nadeyona' and 'Heegondu Yaksha Prasline' jointly written with his wife, Malathi. He has also written (in 5 volumes) the epic poem Ramayana Mahanweshanam. A voracious reader, Moily has time and again contributed well-researched articles to newspapers, periodicals and the internet. A man of words, actions and deeds, Moily is a tough task-master whose unparalleled service to the nation can not be enumerated in words, and in fact, constitutes an unprecedented landmark.