Koppal: The announcement of CH Vijayashankar as the new governor of Meghalaya has brought immense pride and joy to Binnal village in Kukanur taluk. The news, broadcast on the radio, was met with excitement by Sangappa Mannapur, an octogenarian from the village and Vijayashankar’s brother-in-law, along with other elderly villagers. Binnal, a small village with around 4,000 residents, has been celebrating the achievement of their own.
Mannapur shared that Vijayashankar’s father, Chandrashekarappa Bavi, also known as Mudakappa, was a respected primary school teacher in Guttalin, Byadagi taluk, Haveri district. Despite selling their property and moving away, the Mannapur family maintains a deep sense of pride in Vijayashankar’s rise to the gubernatorial position.
HN Kuri, a retired PWD official and distant cousin of Vijayashankar, recalled his visits to Binnal during holidays and his early years in Makanur and Hunsur. The family’s connection to the region was highlighted during Vijayashankar’s political career, notably when he defeated Mysore king Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.
Kalakappa Kambli, a former vice-president of Yelburga taluk panchayat, reminisced about Vijayashankar’s visit as forest minister in 2010-11 and his generous donation to a local temple’s golden jubilee celebrations. The villagers, who cherish these memories, plan to invite the governor for a special felicitation in their village.