Скачать или смотреть Shantaram Siddi Becomes India's First Lawmaker From The African-Origin Community Of Karnataka

Shantharam Budna Siddi, a 55-year-old African-origin Siddi tribal, is elated on being nominated as a Karnataka Legislative Council (MLC) member by Governor Vajubhai Vala.

“It is an honour to represent our tribal community in the legislative council but to serve everybody. Service to people is service to God,” a beaming Siddi told on phone in Kannada and Hindi from his village Hitalahalli near Yallapur taluk in Uttara Kannada coastal district.

Yellapur is 425 kms northwest of Bengaluru in the southern state.

Siddi is among 5 persons nominated on Wednesday to the upper house to fill vacancies caused after the term of the incumbents lapsed in the 75-member legislative council.

The four others are former ministers A H Vishwanath and C.P. Yogeeshwar, academician Talwar Sabanna and BJP women’s wing president Bharathi Shetty.

“I am grateful to the state government for giving our community a voice in the legislature and an opportunity to make laws for the benefit of all,” said Siddi.

First in the community to graduate in BA, Siddi is the secretary of Vanavasi Kalyana Ashram, which he joined as a young cadre in 1989.

“Though I had an offer to join as a school teacher on graduating, I preferred to do farming in our agriculture field and work for the welfare of my community,” Siddi recalled.

Siddi, however, runs a common hostel for tribal boys and girls in his village so that they could study well and become independent.

#ShantaramSiddi #KarnatakaMLC

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