Pramesh S Jain
*Award for panchayats in Hegde’s name.
*”Ramakrishna Hegde—a leader who created leaders”.
*Pledge to carry his ideals and vision of development to future generations.
Chief Minister D.K.Shivakumar said that the state government will take several important steps to permanently honour the memory of late former Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde.
He was speaking at the centenary birth anniversary celebration of Ramakrishna Hegde,held on Saturday at the Banquet Hall of Vidhana Soudha,which was inaugurated along with Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan.
On this occasion,CM Shivakumar announced that the Karwar Medical College in Uttara Kannada district will be named after Ramakrishna Hegde.
He also said that he has discussed with the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister about giving a “Ramakrishna Hegde Best Panchayat Award”every year on Hegde’s birthday,to honour his contributions to rural governance.
He further announced that a major road in Bengaluru’s Shivarama Karantha Layout will also be named after Ramakrishna Hegde.
A Leader Who Created Leaders:
Shivakumar said,”Ramakrishna Hegde was not just a leader who held power — he was a leader who built new leadership from the panchayat level all the way up to Parliament.”
“A leader’s job is not just to create followers.True leadership means creating more leaders.That was Ramakrishna Hegde’s core belief,”he said.
He recalled that Karnataka’s experiments with the Panchayat Raj system became a model for the entire country, and later inspired the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments during the Rajiv Gandhi government.
Politics Based on Values,Not Caste:
“Hegde did not limit himself to caste-based politics. He gave priority to value-based politics and social justice.
People from various parts of the state, including North Karnataka, accepted his leadership.Even when in power, he always kept public service and development at the centre of his work,” Shivakumar said.
Hegde’s Life is Like a Dictionary:
“Ramakrishna Hegde’s life is like a dictionary.We can learn many things by looking at his principles and conduct.
He gave us the message that power should not be seen as a symbol of strength,but as an opportunity to serve the people,” he said.
Comparing the state budget during Hegde’s tenure as CM with today’s, Shivakumar noted that the budget was around Rs.3,687 crore during 1982–87, while under the Siddaramaiah government it has grown to approximately Rs.4.50 lakh crore.
Revenue collection was also much lower then.Even small projects of that era have now become schemes worth thousands of crores,he added.
Hegde Opened the Doors to Education’:
Shivakumar said that Hegde’s policies helped to expand medical and engineering education in Karnataka.Today, Karnataka produces around 13,940 doctors and over 1.25 lakh engineers every year.Education and human resources are Karnataka’s biggest strengths.
Hegde’s policies also paved the way for the growth of private educational institutions.As a result, Karnataka today leads the country in medical and engineering education.
Memories of Kanakapura Politics:
Recalling the early days of his political life, Shivakumar said, “I entered politics in Kanakapura during the period of influence of both Ramakrishna Hegde and P.G.R. Sindhia.
I started my political life during Hegde’s era of influence. I lost one election — otherwise I would have been an MLA for the ninth time by now. It is my good fortune to continuously receive the blessings of the people of Kanakapura.”
Award for Best Panchayat in Hegde’s Name’:
The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department has been instructed to design a plan to give an award in Ramakrishna Hegde’s name every year on his birthday to the best-performing panchayat.The aim is to carry forward Hegde’s vision of Panchayat Raj and rural development to the next generation.
His Name Must Live Forever:
“Birth is accidental,death is inevitable.Birth is free,death is certain.But what we do in the time between birth and death is what truly matters.Hegde’s work,service,and leadership must be remembered forever,” Shivakumar said.
A Leader with Both the Qualities of Rama and Krishna’:
Shivakumar quoted Union Minister Prahlad Joshi, who said that Hegde had both the idealism of Lord Rama and the diplomacy of Lord Krishna.
“Today’s leaders have a lot to learn from Hegde’s political life. His message — that power should be treated as an opportunity to serve the people — is still relevant today,” he said.
Hegde’s Disciples Are in All Parties:
Shivakumar recalled Hegde’s political influence and said that the leaders shaped by him are today found across various political parties.
He mentioned that leaders like Siddaramaiah, R.V. Deshpande, Basavaraj Rayareddy, and B.L. Shankar grew up in Hegde’s political school.
“Hegde did not just create followers — he created leaders. The hundreds of leaders sitting here today are proof of that,” he said.
He Had the Ability to Become Prime Minister’:
Shivakumar said that Ramakrishna Hegde had both the ability and the opportunity to become the Prime Minister of the country,but it could not happen due to certain reasons.He added that he would not go into further discussion on that matter.
“When in power,one must have a generous heart.Even in victory, one must have a big heart— this message from Swami Vivekananda should guide us,” he said.
‘Our Government Walks in Hegde’s Footsteps’:
“Our government will continue to carry forward Ramakrishna Hegde’s principles,values-based politics, Panchayat Raj vision,and development thinking,” Shivakumar said.
“All of us— Siddaramaiah,Deshpande,Rayareddy,B.L. Shankar,and others— are working together.We will continue to follow the ideals and principles of Hegde’s life going forward,”he concluded.
