Hubballi: Chandrashekar Dikshit, retired lecturer of Kadasiddheshwar Arts College where Ananth Kumar did his college education, claimed that the Union Minister in his student days, was a principled leader who used to take part in big movements which were intended to secure genuine demands.
According to Mr Dikshit, Ananth had good organizing skills and used to mobilize students of all colleges against the anti-education policies of the government while doing his graduation, earning the respect of teachers and staff members alike. “He never indulged in petty protests to achieve his personal goals or settle scores with his rivals. Teachers liked him a lot as he had great respect for them and used to bow down to seek their blessings whenever he met them even after becoming Union minister,” recalled the retired teacher. “Anant Kumar was a wonderful and active leader who had great concern for the poor. He used to be in the forefront of all agitations as an ABVP member during those days. I had predicted him that he would become a good politician in future and he proved it,” Dikshit added.
Another of his teachers at Basel Mission Primary School, Sugnyanamma, who taught him till class 7, claimed that the BJP leader used to maintain discipline as the class monitor in her absence. He used to be mischievous too but his skills and goodness overshadowed this. “He enquired about my health and well-being even though he had become a national leader. I used to listen to his speeches very carefully. He had also invited me to his daughter’s marriage. His death has caused a great loss to the BJP as well as the nation”, she said. A pall of gloom descended on Indira Nagar here, where the house of the BJP leader is situated, soon after the news of his death spread in the locality. Ananth Kumar used to stay at the house, which was built by his father Narayan Sastry, whenever he visited Hubballi.
