Rudrappa Mokashi: A Visionary ahead of his times

In the passing away of Rudrappa Veerappa Mokashi, former Chairman of the Malaprabha Cooperative Sugar Factory based at Mugat Khan (MK) Hubli) in Belagavi district adjoining Maharashtra and a leader of the state Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), the state and more so the peasant community has lost a visionary ahead of his times. He breathed his last on 20 December 2021 in Belagavi. He was 86.

Rudrappa Mokashi

A rich person by heart: Although RV Mokashi hailed from a wealthy farmer’s family since the beginning, he never behaved like the present neo-rich. About half a century ago, there used to be just a handful of well to do people in the rural areas. These days, you can find any number of rich people in terms of material wealth, but to know whether they also possess a generous mindset and a large heart is like opening a Pandora box! On the other hand, RV Mokashi was a great personality with a magnanimous heart in unbelievable proportions to all those who came in touch.

An honest, committed peasant’s leader: RV Mokashi belonged to Navalagatti village of Bailhongal Taluk in Belagavi district known for sugarcane. The farmers of the region used to load their crop yield to the nearby factory at MK Hubli. Thanks to it being in the cooperative sector, many of those at the helm of affairs for decades swindled enough funds to bring it close to disaster throwing the interest of growers into jeopardy. It was at this juncture RV Mokashi thought of rectifying the wrongdoings. He pondered over the plight of well-doing sugar factories in the neighbouring state of Maharashtra and planned to visit such sugar units…

…Basavaraj Mokashi, younger son of RV Mokashi recollects: “Since Dad was not well versed in Marathi, he suggested Ashok Patil of Khanapur to accompany him for the visit to sugar mills. I used to drive the car and we visited many private and cooperative sugar companies to study the reasons responsible for their continued well being”.

Ashok Patil later became Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti(MES) MLA of Khanapur and Chairman of the newly founded Khanapur Cooperative Sugar Factory. The visits enriched RV Mokashi’s outlook at the functioning of the sugar factories. This rigid homework also enabled him in evolving into an honest and committed peasants’ leader until he remained active in public life.

From Five crores loss to surplus: “In the early Nineties, tenders were called to dispose of the Malaprabha Cooperative Sugar Factory as it was on the brink of bankruptcy and a private company from Bihar was almost tipped to be the new owner. But for Rs one crore of the state government in the form of its share funding, the factory was due by Rs Four crores to the Belagavi district cooperative bank. It was at this pathetic stage; Dad RV Mokashi waged a relentless battle to bring back the sugar factory to the farmers’ folds”, says Ashok Mokashi, elder son…

…His efforts paid rich dividends. The government yielded to the farmers’ pressure and cancelled the bid and called for elections. In 1992, he was elected a Director and later became the Chairman. In a short span of one year and five months, he scripted a totally new chapter in the history of the factory. The hitherto loss-making factory not only repaid the Rs Four crore loan due to the Belagavi district cooperative bank but made a deposit of Rs Five crore in the same bank”, recollects Ashok Mokashi.

Cogeneration leads to degeneration: Thanks to his vision ahead of his times, RV Mokashi’s dream child cogeneration project paved way for his degeneration from the administration of the factory. He had presented a DPR to the state government seeking sanctions for producing electricity to enable the factory to evolve alternative models of revenue mobilization. But, the same farmers’ association fellow directors had conspired to ensure that RV Mokashi was stripped from the chairman’s post!

Two thieves and an honest farmer: Basavaraj Mokashi recalled his father’s oft-repeated example to narrate the developments in the factory: “A committed farmer had grown chickpea in his field and was guarding the same as he was expecting a bumper crop. Two thieves came the way with a horse and were awestruck at the terrific growth. They thought of grazing their horse in the field but couldn’t do so as the farmer had personally kept a vigil. The thieves were professional and not known for accepting defeat. In no time they hatched a game plan and made a hue and cry by pretending to quarrel among themselves. At the same time, they had also let loose the horse to freely graze the grown-up crop! The poor farmer got perturbed and tried his lot to settle their dispute in vain. Despite putting all his efforts the altercation didn’t stop until the horse had its stomach full. This was what Danappagouda and Babagouda Patil did to me at the cost of the sugar factory’s genuine interests!”

Traitors all along with RV Mokashi’s public life: Strange it may look, but unfortunately, it also happened to be a hardcore fact. Throughout his public life, RV Mokashi was surrounded by foes and backstabbers in the guise of friends, well-wishers and admirers!

In the early seventies, he gave a try to stall the Harinala irrigation project as most of the land to be submerged among the 390 hectares belonged to Navalagatti and adjoining villages. The extent to be irrigated from the left bank canal was proposed to be 930 hectares while the right bank canal aimed at watering around 2,500 hectares. He made any number of visits in his car to nearby places and Bengaluru, meeting lawyers, retired engineers, politicians pleading against the dam project. At that period of time, he had spent more than Rs 15, 00,000 from his pocket as the villagers had promised to share the expenditure. But nothing of that sort happened and all those who had assured of contributing shied away. After tasting the bitter experience he felt enough is enough and bid adieu in continuing the efforts further. However, late Kundarnad Patil, who had rubbed shoulders in building the farmers’ movement in Belagavi district penned an article in Lankesh Patrike tabloid against the same RV Mokashi!

Stooge becomes a rival! When RV Mokashi had become a household name in Belagavi and adjoining districts of North Karnataka for building the farmers’ movement no one had ever heard the name of Babagouda Patil, who was preparing for UPSC exams. As he had developed the capacity of communicating in English, RV Mokashi roped him to the farmers’ association thinking that he would be of some help in correspondence. Once Babagouda Patil got introduced to the mainstream leaders like Prof MD Nanjundswamy, ND Venkatesh among many others, he ensured a master plan to bury the career of RV Mokashi!

Packed to Bailhongal to bite the dust! RV Mokashi’s area of activities was mainly in the Kittur constituency. But when the state farmers’ association decided to plunge into electoral politics by contesting the 1989 general elections to the state Assembly, RV Mokashi was dumped to the neighbouring Bailhongal constituency! On the other hand, Babagouda Patil, whom the veteran farmers' leader had introduced to the farmers’ association contested from Kittur and Dharwad Rural constituencies and he won in both of them. Later, he vacated the Dharwad Rural seat to Prof Nanjundswamy. Interestingly, the KRRS which had fought the elections to assume power by unseating the Janata Party government bagged only a couple of seats!

Three contests in vain: RV Mokashi, in fact, contested three elections. He tried his luck in vain from Hire Bagewadi, Bailhongal Assembly constituencies and Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency. Probably, had he been allotted Kittur constituency the state Assembly would have gained by his pro farmers’ policies and dreams. It looks he was not destined for the role in legislative bodies!

-Manohar Yadavatti