Hands that rolled beedis now hold a gold medal

Mangaluru: Mangalore University topper Sandhya N Maninalkur's inspiring journey from milking cows at dawn and rolling beedis late into the night to winning a gold medal and seven cash prizes in MA Kannada is a testament to her determination against poverty and hardship. She was honoured at the 44th convocation of Mangalore University chaired by Karnataka governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot on Saturday.From a young age, Sandhya had to balance her academics with work due to her family's financial struggles. Her parents, a daily wage worker father suffering from severe hand pain, and a mother who rolls beedis for a living, relied on every income source to make ends meet. She started rolling beedis in class 7 to help support her family, and continue her schooling. Her daily routine was demanding, often involving milking cows in the early morning and contributing to the family's income by rolling beedis in the evening. After securing a science degree with physics, chemistry, and mathematics, Sandhya ultimately followed her passion for literature, by pursuing it for her postgraduate degree in Kannada."My interest in literature and passion for writing poems and articles motivated my decision to pursue Kannada. The able guidance of teachers helped me to overcome the challenge of shifting my focus in education from science to literature," Sandhya said, expressing her gratitude to her teachers, parents and younger sister for their constant support.On her future ambition, Sandhya said that pursuing a PhD in Kannada has been her dream. "After graduation, I taught at a college for a year. Now I have stopped rolling beedis to pursue BEd. I will pursue a PhD in Kannada after the completion of BEd. My parents have also expressed their support to make my dreams a reality. My mother has been working to cover the family's basic expenses," she added.Meanwhile, another student, Fathima Shaloola from Uppala, Kasaragod, bagged two gold medals and three cash prizes in Master of Communication and Journalism. Kavya from Kanhangad, Kasaragod, secured the first rank in MA Sociology, and won two gold medals.