As a child, Vishwa walked a long way to get to school. As a college student, he tutored two children to make ends meet. And as an engineer, he built dams, bridges and institutions, and the foundation for a modern India. Read this to know how Sir M Visvesvaraya observed the world around him, learnt from it, made bold decisions and never shied away from hard work.
When Visvesvaraya
graduated from Central College, Bengaluru, Principal Charles Waters presented
him with a dictionary. Visvesvaraya used it for the next 80 years!
A very thrifty person,
he once said in a speech: “If you buy what you do not need, you will need what
you cannot buy.”
Riding to work
While there, he came to
work from the camp office across Panjra river. How did he travel to work? On
horseback of course, since this was in 1884!
One evening it rained so
hard that the river was flooded and Visvesvaraya could not ride back to the
travellers’ bungalow. For two days, the villagers of Nandwan and Datari offered
him food and accommodation. But on the third morning, he had to return to the
camp office. What did he do? He just swam back with the help of his Bhil
workers. Can you imagine how strong he had become contrary to that early
prediction?
Visvesvaraya’s public
works, which started then, went on for over seven decades!
eam clearing sand from the bed of the stream.
Visvesvaraya was
passionate about water conservation. He designed many water supply, drainage
and irrigation systems across the country.
Visvesvaraya also
designed or advised on water supply systems in Aden (now in Yemen), Kolhapur,
Indore, Gwalior, Bhopal, Nagpur, Goa, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Baroda, Sangli and
across Bihar and Odisha.
Education for all
In 1912, the Maharaja offered the post of Dewan to Visvesvaraya. But he was anxious to have opportunities to develop technical education and industries in the State and he did not want any high office. However, the Maharaja insisted, and Visvesvaraya became the Dewan.
As someone who knew the
worth of a good education, Visvesvaraya wanted to set up schools and colleges.
During his period as Dewan, between 1912 and 1918, the number of educational
institutions in the state went up from just 4,568 to 11,294. The Maharani’s
College in Mysuru became the first in the state to include degree courses for
women.
Visvesvaraya was also
responsible for starting technical education colleges, engineering colleges and
agriculture education. He introduced compulsory education, which is now a
fundamental right in the Indian Constitution.
On a visit to his old
school in Muddenahalli, he gave a packet of chocolates to the students.
When he was asked to
give a speech, Sir MV spoke only for five minutes because he wasn’t prepared.
Unhappy with that, he came back a few days later with a well-prepared speech!
When he resigned as
chairman of the Mysore Iron Works, which he founded, a large sum of money was
due to him. Visvesvaraya wanted it to be used to start a college where boys
could learn a profession. So the Sri Jayachamarajendra Occupational Institute
was set up in Bengaluru. It is now called Sri Jayachamarajendra Polytechnic.
The first Ganesha made
at the Mysore Iron Works, later renamed Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant.
Institutions that Sir MV helped
to set up
· Government Engineering College (Renamed University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering), Bengaluru.
·
Hebbal Agricultural School, that led to the formation of
University of Agricultural Sciences.
·
Sri Jayachamarajendra Polytechnic College, Bengaluru
·
Mysore University
An honour for the genius
The visionary that he
was, Visvesvaraya visited factories and big construction projects in many
countries, not only to provide them with his services, but also to see how he
could bring development to India. He felt India’s poverty could only be reduced
if education and employment were available to everyone.
He often boldly
declared, “Industrialise, or perish!” But, during the same time, Gandhiji used
to say, “Industrialise and perish!” Even though the two great men did not have
the same views about industrialisation, they respected each other.
Love for reading
The dictionary is now in
the Muddenahalli museum.
Sir MV helped to set up
the Mysore Agricultural Residential School. It later became the University of
Agricultural Sciences. The rock on which he liked to sit has been named after
him.
Among the books in his
personal library were Poems of Kabir, Arabian Nights, Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer
Abroad, Charles Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers, Dr. Peter Schmidt’s Don’t Be
Tired, Macmillan’s Promotion of Happiness and Rabindranath Tagore’s Stray
Birds. Also in the library were books that he wrote: Memoirs of My Working
Life, Constructing India, Nation Building: A Five-Year Plan for the Provinces
and Prosperity Through Industry.
As an engineer, and a
person who valued education and discipline, Sir MV was an inspiration to
millions of people. Among them was a boy called Ramu who used to read out to
him from the newspapers when Visvesvaraya’s eyesight became weak. He wanted
Ramu to come on time, read to him and leave for school on time. For this, Sir
MV paid him 10 paise every day. Ramu’s reading improved and he grew up to
become a teacher. After he retired, he became a Scoutmaster in Tumakuru and
taught physical exercise, memory games, first-aid and sports to children for
free.
Mangala and Amma had been
learning about Visvesvaraya for a week.
“Amma, so Muttajji could get a
degree because Sir MV introduced graduate studies in Mysuru?” Mangala asked.
Amma nodded.
“Ajji had an account in Mysore
Bank founded by Sir MV?” Amma nodded.
“You worked at the Kannada
Sahitya Parishat?” Amma nodded again.
“And now, I want to visit
Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum which was set up in his
memory,” said Mangala.
“Yes, let’s go there next week,
on his birthday!” said Amma.
Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (Photos: Visvesvaraya National Memorial Trust/Pratham Books)
September 15 is
celebrated as National Engineers’ Day in honour of Sir Mokshagundam
Visvesvaraya, an outstanding engineer and visionary.
Visvesvaraya helped set
up the Karnataka Sahitya Parishat (later renamed Kannada Sahitya Parishat) in
Bengaluru to bring together people who spoke different dialects of the
language.
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