<p>Nagaraj, a physical education teacher at the government high school in Bayalu Thumbaraguddi near Kotturu, Ballari district, is known for a service that goes beyond the school and spills on to roads.</p>.<p>For the last 12 years, Nagaraj has been cleaning Kotturu’s lanes and by-lanes with pourakarmikas. He helps them for about an hour every morning before heading to the school. </p>.<p>It started with an advice. His father Megha Nayak was a <span class="italic">jawan</span> at Kottureshwara College. He prioritised cleanliness everywhere and through his hard work also expanded the green cover on the college campus. </p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>Haunting words</strong></p>.<p>As Nagaraj remembers, “He advised me to work towards cleanliness of the surroundings. I did not pay attention. He adviced the same when I became a school teacher. I ignored it then, too.” But after the demise of his father due to ill-health, the same advice began haunting Nagaraj. </p>.<p>“I then vowed to follow his words,” he explains. Nagaraj, while wondering where to start, saw pourakarmikas at work. “I thought my father’s advice would work well if I joined them,” he says. Nagaraj, once worried about the reactions from his wife, mother and friends, says, “One fine day in 2012, I went out of the house and joined pourakarmikas to clean the streets.” </p>.<p>There were sharp reactions from his family. Some pourakarmikas warned that he would lose respect, and a few asked if he quit his job to become one of them. However, Nagaraj carried on.</p>.<p>“I noticed that pourakarmikas had paid the least attention to their health. I stressed the need to maintain physical and mental health. Today, health has become a priority to many of them,” he adds.</p>.<p>Nagaraj has not only reformed pourakarmikas, but also the mindset of people. A few years ago, none of the residents called pourakarmikas by names. Now, many residents remember the names and even thank the pourakarmikas for cleaning the lanes of Kotturu.</p>.<p>To Nagaraj, pourakarmikas are like doctors. “A doctor treats a disease, while a pourakarmika prevents the outbreak of diseases by keeping surroundings clean,” he stresses.</p>.<p>Satish Patil, a professor, believes that it’s difficult for others to emulate Nagaraj. “His courage should be appreciated,” he says.</p>.<p>Krishnappa and Huligesh, two pourakarmikas, add that Nagaraj works more than them sometimes.</p>.<p>“We feel happy when he is with us. He felicitates us by presenting shawls on Poura Karmika Day,” says Huligesh.</p>.<p>“He respects us at a time when many others have forgotten that we too are human beings,” adds Krishnappa.</p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>Awareness drive</strong></p>.<p>To share the importance of cleanliness, Nagaraj has staged street plays. “We formed a troupe and staged street plays in every gram panchayat,” he recalls. He plans to set up a welfare fund to train pourakarmikas in street plays and has roped in students. </p>.<p>On weekends, he goes around villages narrating stories and reciting songs about cleanliness.</p>.<p>Now, if Nagaraj stays back at his house, his daughter wants know why he hasn’t gone out to clean the streets.</p>
<p>Nagaraj, a physical education teacher at the government high school in Bayalu Thumbaraguddi near Kotturu, Ballari district, is known for a service that goes beyond the school and spills on to roads.</p>.<p>For the last 12 years, Nagaraj has been cleaning Kotturu’s lanes and by-lanes with pourakarmikas. He helps them for about an hour every morning before heading to the school. </p>.<p>It started with an advice. His father Megha Nayak was a <span class="italic">jawan</span> at Kottureshwara College. He prioritised cleanliness everywhere and through his hard work also expanded the green cover on the college campus. </p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>Haunting words</strong></p>.<p>As Nagaraj remembers, “He advised me to work towards cleanliness of the surroundings. I did not pay attention. He adviced the same when I became a school teacher. I ignored it then, too.” But after the demise of his father due to ill-health, the same advice began haunting Nagaraj. </p>.<p>“I then vowed to follow his words,” he explains. Nagaraj, while wondering where to start, saw pourakarmikas at work. “I thought my father’s advice would work well if I joined them,” he says. Nagaraj, once worried about the reactions from his wife, mother and friends, says, “One fine day in 2012, I went out of the house and joined pourakarmikas to clean the streets.” </p>.<p>There were sharp reactions from his family. Some pourakarmikas warned that he would lose respect, and a few asked if he quit his job to become one of them. However, Nagaraj carried on.</p>.<p>“I noticed that pourakarmikas had paid the least attention to their health. I stressed the need to maintain physical and mental health. Today, health has become a priority to many of them,” he adds.</p>.<p>Nagaraj has not only reformed pourakarmikas, but also the mindset of people. A few years ago, none of the residents called pourakarmikas by names. Now, many residents remember the names and even thank the pourakarmikas for cleaning the lanes of Kotturu.</p>.<p>To Nagaraj, pourakarmikas are like doctors. “A doctor treats a disease, while a pourakarmika prevents the outbreak of diseases by keeping surroundings clean,” he stresses.</p>.<p>Satish Patil, a professor, believes that it’s difficult for others to emulate Nagaraj. “His courage should be appreciated,” he says.</p>.<p>Krishnappa and Huligesh, two pourakarmikas, add that Nagaraj works more than them sometimes.</p>.<p>“We feel happy when he is with us. He felicitates us by presenting shawls on Poura Karmika Day,” says Huligesh.</p>.<p>“He respects us at a time when many others have forgotten that we too are human beings,” adds Krishnappa.</p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>Awareness drive</strong></p>.<p>To share the importance of cleanliness, Nagaraj has staged street plays. “We formed a troupe and staged street plays in every gram panchayat,” he recalls. He plans to set up a welfare fund to train pourakarmikas in street plays and has roped in students. </p>.<p>On weekends, he goes around villages narrating stories and reciting songs about cleanliness.</p>.<p>Now, if Nagaraj stays back at his house, his daughter wants know why he hasn’t gone out to clean the streets.</p>