He installs two light bulbs at home and workmen come from the market town to do the job. The villagers learn a new term, chuch. You press the chuch and the bulbu comes on to give light. Ajji and Gowra have to deal with visitors at all hours who want to see how the chuch and the bulbu work.

11

ANNAIAH AND THE WOODEN RAMANI

y Byregowda’s time, the headman’s land holdings have increased to nearly a hundred acres, making them big landlords. Several villagers till their lands and give about 50 per cent of their harvest to him, although Byregowda often says that those who till his lands should get a bigger share of the harvest, because they do all the work.

Ajji and Gowra listen in puzzlement as Byregowda describes land reforms. He talks of the Kagodu satyagraha. There is a great man called Ram Manohar Lohia, he says, who believes that everyone is entitled to some land for tilling. Byregowda attends a couple of meetings in far-off places where this man has spoken. Ajji doesn’t know where, she hasn’t even seen the big town, and even Gowra has seen it only twice. Each time he comes back full of excitement and determination.

Again he tours the neighbouring villages, who are more receptive to him this time, even if they are unsure about his ideas and causes. He also speaks of another man called Acharya Vinoba Bhave in a nearby place called Andhra Pradesh. Byregowda says that several farmers have given away over a hundred acres of land each to this Acharya, who has given it to poor land tillers and made them owners.

Byregowda is thrilled when he meets local leader Shantaveri Gopala Gowdru, who has been rousing people in his own region. And Byregowda declares that he will willingly deed away all his lands that are being tilled by the villagers and only keep what is needed to maintain his family.

His Vokkaliga community is unhappy with what he is saying. They will lose their lands. But the lower castes, many of whom work as labour in the fields, begin to see Byregowda as their champion. Some even start composing songs in his name and sing them in saraayi-induced frenzy.

Gowra, as full of idealism as Byregowda is, does not object to this proposed giving away of her son’s inheritance. If the villagers ask her, she shrugs and says Puttaswamy will have enough for himself and his children anyway, what is the need for so much wealth?

Ajji, though, is shocked at this rashness. If Byregowda gives away all their land, why will anyone respect them? Why will Byregowda be the headman? How will it upset the caste equations in the village? She advises caution.

When Byregowda discusses it with Annaiah, he nods and says, ‘You leave it to me. I will tell the villagers the story of how fertility came to the land and why they should learn to accept that the land is not theirs.’ Byregowda is puzzled but hopeful that Annaiah will find a way out, as always.