I n d i a M a h e s h

India is today one of the fastest growing economies and contribution of our, mostly nationalized, banks are phenomenal. Three of India’s major public sector banks, namely: Syndicate, Canara and Corporation Banks, were founded here. At a time when “India being a major economic power” was considered as “joke”; bankers of Mangalore like Upendra Anant Pai, Ammembal Subba Rao Pai and Haji Abdullah Saheb (founders of Syndicate, Canara and Corporation Bank – respectively) were busy finding ways to fight poverty effectively. At a time when people were struggling to meet their ends had it not been for introduction of Pigmy banking and Beedi industry by Dr. TMA Pai and B. Manjunath Pai, respectively, situation would have been worse than misery.

When India’s education system was considered “inadequate” it was owing to visions of Dr. TMA Pai, TA Pai and T Ramesh U Pai which made Kasturba Medical College – India’s first private medical college – happen on the otherwise barren hill called Mannupalla (now Manipal).

This is also land of scores of other literary, arts and cultural geniuses; place where Acharya Madhwa established, what is now considered to be “the most influential Hindu”, philosophy of Dwaita. This is the place where followers of Jesus Christ made significant strides in education and medicine, respectively.

There are scores of politicians, statesman, bureaucrats, philosophers and even journalists unto whom we can pride for all good reasons. Yet, we hardly do. The only reason being: lack of knowledge about our own history. It won’t be wrong if one suggests that “our histories are infested with myths”.

How many could recall the longest reign of Alupas Dynasty in Mangalore, who had the distinction of running a continuous line of rulers for more than one thousand years? Who can recollect contributions of politicians like US Mallya founder of New Mangalore Port or recall virtuous politicians like P Ranganath Shenoy?

People here are so mired in materialistic paradoxes – of course, for compelling reasons – that they are finding it difficult to appreciate history. “What’s use of history? What can we learn from it?” they may ask. The short answer for this is we can learn from history if, and only if, we are willing to learn from it. In our case the problem is that we haven’t documented any!

Edmund Burke has something important to say here “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” I also remember Professor Johnston who was often found saying that “if you didn’t know history, you didn’t know anything.  You were a leaf that didn’t know it was part of a tree.”