Hyderabad: From changing child labor at the age of four to become a professor tenured at one of the highest universities in Canada, Chinnaiiah Jangam, Jogini’s son (devadasi), has overcome all obstacles to reach the peak of success and, more importantly, fulfill the wishes of his mother – formal education.
Jangam, who tasted poverty at a young age, said that returning to his childhood his ambition was to escape poverty and realize that he could achieve it only through education.
He said it was also his mother’s dream to make him educated as his grandparents, uncle, aunts and others in the family working as workers bound.
“I was ridiculed because he joined the school,” Jangam Toi said.
“Insulted is a daily affair in childhood.
People are happy to put me, remind me of time and again that I am the son of Jogini and not to waste time study.” A professor of history at Carleton University, Ottawa, Jingam said that he lost his mother when he was in 9th grade and that his death was the hardest time in his life.
“I have to look for alms to collect RS 5,000 to cremate my mother.
Most of my relatives give some money to cremate and break relationships with our family – my sister who is three years old and me,” Jangam said, who studied at a social welfare school and Then in government universities.
He said that his mother was ‘married to a god’ when he had polio and made Jogini (exercise that was prohibited now).
“As soon as a woman was used as Jogini, she lost control of her life.
Even though she was married to gods, they could not enter the temple because they were from lower caste, untouched.
They must be available to everyone in the village.
My mother was forced to beg in front of the temple.
He was exploited, did a lot of strange work to support our family, “he said and added that he also had to work as construction workers and farm laborers while studying.
Jangam said that he had to send his sister to the orphanage, from where he began his school, and he continued his education.
“This is the only way we can both learn,” he said.
Hyderabad university alumnus, Jangam said he was lucky to get some extraordinary teachers and friends in life.
“Some teachers first even gave me used clothes.
In fact, until my graduation, I mostly wore hand-me-down clothes,” he added.
He said that he held back to share details about his background from the intermediary and only after completing education and reached a certain stage in life, he had started talking about his roots again because he wanted people to know anyone could achieve anything.
“Even now, sometimes I have to face insults, but they are mostly smooth.
But, I’m in a happy place now.
I’m proud of who I am,” he said.
Jangam said that he was currently working on his mother’s memoir and a book about the history of caste in India.
“I want to remember for my writings on the suffering of people from my community,” he added.
Jangam did MPhil from the University of Jawaharlal Nehru and PhD from the University of London.
He also taught at universities at US and Osmania universities.
A video about him recently tweeted by Conda Vishweshwar Reddy politician.