Twenty-five years ago, Bheemavva and her husband moved to the coastal region of Udupi from their hamlet of Katagiri in the north Karnataka district of Bagalkot in search of a job. Even though they owned two acres of land in their town, a terrible drought had made life difficult for them at home. Bheemavva, at 48, is the president of Tallur gram panchayat in Udupi, a climb made easier by her proclivity for addressing local concerns.
The popularity of Bheemavva among the people of Tallur drew the attention of Karun Poojary, a former member of the Kundapur taluk panchayat. She was nominated to run in the panchayat elections in December 2020. The position is reserved for scheduled tribes (ST), although she had only completed class 2. She is doing her best to help locals overcome the challenges they face daily. It might be obtaining ration cards or other government benefits.
Bheemavva has four children with her spouse, Mariyappa. One son is in the military and stationed on the India-China border, while the other is home in Bagalkot. The other two children are in school, and Bheemavva wants them to succeed in their studies and find a suitable profession.
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