The beginning of my journey to Kalaburagi as an MGN Fellow

Positivity, MGNF, Travel, COVID-19

“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.”
– Roy T. Bennett

I remember that bitter-sweet feeling when I got a call from IIMB saying that I have been selected for the very prestigious Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF) and my assigned district is Kalaburagi, Karnataka. Kalaburagi is the hottest district in Karnataka and there are only two climatic seasons - summer and extreme summer. Temperature during day time reaches up to 46℃ and temperature during night can reach up to 29℃. It would be a little tough job for someone from the city where climate that is just too perfect, to adapt to such high temperature and spicy food.

After the postpone of the District Immersion Module-1 for around 2 months, fellows of Karnataka were finally deployed to the assigned districts in the month of June. Kalaburagi had the highest number of positive COVID-19 cases in the state and every person around us filled my parents’ and my head with nothing but fear. I had to pluck up the courage and boost my parents’ confidence in me by telling them that some of my friends will be working in different states and explaining them about how great of an opportunity it is to learn and serve one of the aspirational districts of Karnataka.

Since public transportation seemed too risky during this pandemic, I had to take a taxi to Kalaburagi. Many travel agencies refused the trip due to the number of cases in Kalaburagi. After 5 days, an agency called “Travel Care” finally agreed. I had ruled out the options of paying guests or hostels for staying and the plan was to rent a 1BHK house and therefore, I purchased every possible thing that I can carry from home and that can fit inside a cab, so that I would not have to shop much in Kalaburagi. My focus was mainly on kitchen products and groceries as I had planned to cook my own food (Mysore style food).

I left Mysuru on 13^th of June at 5.30 AM, accompanied by my father. It was a 13 hours (750 kms) journey and luckily, the sky was cloudy the entire day and it was raining in some places. The trip was beautiful and scenic on NH50. Hilly areas that looked decorated by numerous wind mills, the beautiful Tungabhadra dam which happens to be the largest dam in Karnataka and the petrichor scent from the soil that changed colour every few kilometres, are something that can leave anyone stunned. The trip worth 18 thousand rupees finally ended and we reached Kalaburagi at 6.30 PM. I got a 1BHK house for rent on the same day and my dad left Kalaburagi next day morning. I started feeling a little sad and lonely as it was my first time staying away from home.

I reported at District Skill Mission on 15^th of June and from that day to this day, my perspective about the district has changed a lot. People here are warm and welcoming. I am not scared of the climate or COVID-19 cases anymore. The more I explore and get to know the district, the more I feel like Kalaburagi is an abandoned child. I constantly tend to compare Kalaburagi to my home district and feel like people here deserve all the facilities and opportunities that I was able to get in Mysore. This motivates me to work hard. As the saying goes, “Whatever happens, happens for good”, I feel more positive and work-driven after I reported at kalaburagi, than I felt before. I look forward to gaining great experience, knowledge and becoming better with time, both professionally and personally.

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  Meghana S Kumar

  Meghana S Kumar holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University. She has worked as a volunteer in a Mysore based NGO called ‘Project ReachOut’. She is currently a Mahatma Gandhi National Fellow at Centre for Public Policy, IIM Bangalore.