Belagavi :
Examples of children of devadasis qualified with higher education are seen very rare following poor social and financial background of these families. In such conditions, Suvarna Shanta Madar, 36 year old devadasi daughter from Kokatnur village in Athani taluk has achieved doctorate degree fighting all odds came in her way.
After completing B.Com from Karnataka University Dharwad with fifth rank in 2002, Suvarna completed her MA. She did not stop there by deciding to pursue PhD on devadasi system with which she suffered from. Karnataka State Women’s University, Vijayapur awarded her doctorate degree last year for doing PhD in the subject ‘An Economic Study of Rehabilitation Programme of Devadasis in Athani Taluk’.
She did research on five government schemes for the eradication of devadasi system and the welfare of devadasis including the schemes for providing housing, pension, rehabilitation and make them self reliant. Professor S S Peerzade in Economics department in women’s university guided her to pursue PhD.
“Pursuing the education was not a smooth task for me. I used to sell coconut, turmeric, oil, flowers and other things sitting in-front of goddess Renuka Yallamma temple in the village till the school time and after returning from school. It was the business providing us bread and butter. There are lot of hilarious experiences I have experienced in my childhood and adolescence being a daughter of devadasi. Poverty was our biggest enemy. As I had experienced the worries of devadasi system and being a daughter of devadasi I chose this subject”, Suvarna said speaking to the TOI.
In 1993-94 state government conducted the survey of devadasis and after that mother of Suvarna began getting Rs 500 monthly pension. The pension amount gave lot of solace to their day today financial problems for survival. Suvarna has two sisters and one brother. One sister is a police constable while another is a staff nurse on contract bases. Brother is daily wage worker. Suvarna works as a guest lecturer at the local 1 stgrade college.
Shanta Madar, mother of Suvarna is very happy with daughter’s achievement. Speaking to the TOI she said she wanted to look her daughter doing a permanent government job. Suvarna said “I have not married so far to achieve something. My first priority is getting a permanent job which is my mother’s dream too”, she said.
Considering the achievement of Suvarna Madar, district officer on devadasi rehabilitation programme M K Kulkarni has wrote letter to the Women’s Development Corporation fortnight ago to bring a book of Suvarna Madar’s thesis submitted for PhD and print at least 1,000 its copies. He has also appealed to honour both mother and daughter on state level platform on Women’s Day. “It’s not a small achievement for any devadasi daughter and it is encouragement for others too”, Kulkarni said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hubballi / by Ravindra Uppar, TNN / February 13th, 2015