Monthly Archives: May 2022

On 20 May 2022, Ganesh Ramalingam(HR Professional, Leadership Mentor & Social Service and Senior members from Badaga Community – Prof.TM Kullan (86), Retd Principal, Govt. Collegiate Service, Mr. S Raman (91), Retd. Government School Head Master, Mr. T Ramakrishnan (78), Retd HPF & Spiritual Service and Mr. R Yogesh Retd. Banker & Author of Badaga Bare(y) met the Honourable Chief Minister of TN at Ooty for the following causes;

1.Listing the Badaga Community under Linguistic Minority as their language Badaga is officially categorised as one of the Definitely Endangered Languages in the word.

2. Reiteration on the ST STATUS – Follow Up Action with the Central Government. (Ganesh Ramalingam is also personally following up with the Central Government Authorities on ST Status for Badagas).

(Kunna) Hubbathalai Subban Moorthy is a differently abled person.

HS Moorthy, the Indian Coach of Table Tennis Team, who has just returned from Deaflympics Brazil 2022. Indian Team lost in the third round. The Indian Contingent met PM Modi on 21 May 2022.

HS Moorthy is deaf and dumb. When he was 3 years old he lost his speech and could not walk. His father, popularly known as Malaysia Subban, since he had stayed in Malaysia for many years, was in Southern Railways, Chennai. Moorthy was admitted at Little Flower Convent for deaf and dumb. He completed 5th STD and then was shifted to St.Louis institute for deaf and blind, Chennai where he completed 11th Std & got experience in Printing Press.

There after he joined HPF, Ooty and got prizes in the All India Public Sectors Sports for many years. While he was in HPF, he was selected as a best Industrial worker and got prize from then Governor of Tamil Nadu Sri. Kurana.

 HS Moorthy represented Tamil Nadu State many times in the National Sports championship for deaf in Table Tennis .

He represented India in Olympics for deaf in Table Tennis held in Nepal and Bangkok 

During 2017 he attended the Olympic for deaf in Table tennis as Indian team coach at Turkey 

Recently Sports Authority of India (New Delhi) has chosen HS Moorthy as a Selector to pick up the Indian Table Tennis team to participate in the Olympics for deaf to be held at Brazil from 30-04-2022 to15-05-2022. He has been selected as the coach for Indian Table tennis team, also .

Selected players from Tamilnadu and Moorthy were honoured by Tamil Nadu Chief minister Sri. MK Stalin in his office.

Presently HS Moorthy is in New Delhi giving coaching to the table tennis team upto 29-04-2022. The Indian team will be leaving for Brazil on 30-04-2022. Olympics for deaf will be held at Brazil from 01-05-2022 to15-05-2022. 

HS Moorthy is married to a lady from Yedapalli Village and blessed with a son and daughter. Son, from IIM Lucnow, is a Senior Manager (HR) in Brigade Construction Enterprise Ltd, Bengaluru and daughter is a teacher in Chaitanya School, Coimbatore.

At present he is working as Table Tennis coach in River Side public school Kotagiri.

Hubbathalai Subban Moorthy, you have proved that physical disabilities are no impediments for achieving higher goals in life.

We are proud of you, Moorthy!

(Information – Kind courtesy H Subban Mani, brother of HS Moorthy)

Badaga Day (15th May 2022)

Greetings to all Badagas. Proud to be an Indian: Proud to be a Badaga

May 15th is celebrated as Badaga day, every year. Many may not be aware that this has been done from 1993 onwards. The Porangadu Seeme (Mainly Kotagiri Area) has been celebrating this day as ‘Ari Gowder Day’ also, in honour of Rao Bahadur H B Ari Gowder of Hubbathalai [See the link Great Badagas] who had done a lot for the Badaga Community, at Nattakal ‘Naakku Betta Koottu Hane’ (Naakku Betta Meeting Ground) which had seen many historic Badaga gatherings for over 100 years. Nattakal is near Kerben Village [near Kotagiri], on the main road from Coonoor.

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The Badaga Day, 15 May 2022, is being live telecast by Nakkubetta TV under the guidance of Ramakrishna

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(From the archieves)

Badaga Day – 15 May 2007

Badaga FlagMay 15th is celebrated as Badaga day, every year. Many may not be aware that this has been done from 1993 onwards. The Porangadu Seeme (Mainly Kotagiri Area) has been celebrating this day as ‘Ari Gowder Day’ also, in honour of Rao Bahadur H B Ari Gowder of Hubbathalai [See the link Great Badagas] who had done a lot for the Badaga Community, at Nattakal ‘Naakku Betta Koottu Hane’ (Naakku Betta Meeting Ground) which had seen many historic Badaga gatherings for over 80 years. Nattakal is near Kerben Village [near Kotagiri], on the main road from Coonoor.

Badaga Day – 15 May 2007

Ari Gowder’s photo being garlanded, Porangadu Seeme Gowda Bheema Gowder addressing the gathering, Part of the crowd, Ari gowder’s daughter in law Mrs.Rukmani Bhojraj being honoured with a ‘ponnadai’ Shawl

While I was proud and honoured to attend the function this year, what saddened me is the fact that there seems no unity among the Badagas what with trivial and minor disputes resulting in boycott of this function by certain hattis at the behest of their ‘Gowdas’. I beleive, in the earlier years, this function attracted a lot of crowd. To add more dismay, there was a parallel Badagar Day celebrations at Ooty, organised by some self appointed Badaga leaders along with corrupt self serving and discredited politicians.

At Nattakal function, I was pleasantly surprised to see BADAGA FLAG being hoisted. Badaga Flag is completety white and I felt, it is appropriate that white colour has been chosen, as the same is totally identified with badagas [due to our dress] as well as HETHE AMMA etc.

In the function, many prominent Gowdas spoke and high lighted the contribution of Rao Bahadur Ari Gowder to our community.

It was also announced by the family of Ari Gowder (by his grand daughter Tara Jayaprakash & myself) that from next academic year onwards, three girls and three boys [from the Badagas] who get the first three positions in plus two exams will be given a cash incentive of Rs.3000,Rs.2000 & Rs.1000 each. This amount will be distributed during the next badaga day (in 2008) at Nattakal. Also, we announced that for the benefit of all those badagas who have to go to Mettupalayam and stay there due to sickness, can stay, along with their family members, in two houses located at ‘Ari Gowder Thottam’, Edayarpalayam road [near housing unit colony]. A nominal fee (to meet electrical & water charges etc) may be charged. The duration of stay could be from a couple of days to a few weeks. (For details please contact ; Wing Commander Bellie Jayaprakash at 8638677373 or 9486631864).

Towards the end of the function, a sad incident of an eye being removed from Maasi Hethai from Aravenu Village was revealed. It was mentioned that the doctors at an eye hospital at Coimbatore, due to their total neglect and callous attitude, removed her GOOD eye instead of the person lying in the next bed in the hospital. She produced photocopies of her stay and medical history. Her case was highlighted by Mrs.Indu K Mallah, Badaga activist who was also a member of the Nilgiri District Cosumer Court for five years. She strongly recommended that this case be taken up for suitable compensation by the concerned hospital.

Maasi Hethe’s case being highlighted by Mrs.Indu K Mallah

The function concluded with lunch (briyani with pachadi) served to all those who attended the meeting.

This function was covered by CTN Cable TV network . Incidentally, CTN has a lot of Badaga content in their programmes with songs, dances, serials etc. Hats off to them and do not miss their Badaga programmes if you are in their coverage area (Coonoor & Kotagiri surroundings).

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As announced, our offer of free accomodation  at Mettupalayam for looking after sick persons was utilised by [retired head constable] Bhoja Gowder from Horasolai Village for the benefit of his wife Lakshmi Ammal. After staying in Mettupalayam for a few months, he has taken her back to hatti on 12-02-08.

Incidentally, Bhoju [as I call him] is a famous football player and in his hay days represented Tamil Nadu Police.

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belliejayaprakash©2022

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