Maddur: The native has returned to his beloved land giving up a lucrative career in faraway USA to take up the cause of the farming community-for whom his father and former Melkote MLA late K.S. Puttannaiah fought for all his life.
So on Wednesday, when a journalist in Mandya accused him of perpetuating dynastic politics in his nascent political party, Darshan Puttannaiah's face, which should have betrayed emotion showed none; for he had always known this was his calling.
With the ubiquitous green shawl draped on his shoulder like the rest of his party members, Darshan - the 41-year- old Assembly poll candidate of Swaraj India - is the new face of the farmer-cum-political activist in India.
These are men who have studied in the West, founded their own corporate companies overseas with businesses spanning across the continents. But in their hearts, they have always known that their calling was in the land of their birth, with the farmers they grew up with and whose lives never picked up under the burden of mounting debts and failed crops, season after season, drought after drought.
Darshan is the founder and CEO of Qwinix Technologies in Denver in the US.
His wife and two children live there. He came home after his father, who is revered like a cult figure of the ryots in Karnataka (Puttannaiah was the leader of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha) suddenly passed away on February 18.
He took no time to decide that this was it and that he was staying back to take forward the unfinished task of his illustrious father.
"My father was an activist and used to worry about farmers, the lack of access to adequate health care, failing crops, mounting loans and migration of villagers to cities. I grew up in a household where my grandfather Srikante Gowda believed in the dignity of labour and equality. He was a labourer, worked hard and became a farmer. I always wanted to come back to India and help the lot of farmers and I knew that I will have to enter politics to achieve this. Swaraj India was the natural choice because my father was the only SI MLA," said Darshan.
Three years ago, Darshan had developed an open source tech platform called 'Code for Farmers' to develop tech applications for farmers to provide them with useful information; on market rates, market intelligence on the price trends and the effect of climate change on their crops on their smart phones.
He has now entered the political fray and is pitted against a candidate of the JD(S), which claim Mandya as theirs. He has the blessings and support of CM Siddaramaiah - an old friend and admirer of his father. "It was a difficult decision considering that I have to relocate my family. My wife and children will be back soon. The two will now study in Mysuru. I have appointed someone to run my company. But the transition is soul satisfying," said Darshan.
