Born in 1949. Primary education in Tamil Nadu. High school - Fort Govt School Bangalore. BA in Psychology, Sociology and Economics from National College, Jayanagar, Bangalore; MA in Sociology from Bangalore University; Ph D from Bangalore University for thesis on Sociology of Indigenous Medicine.

 

Lecturer in Sociology and Logic, MES college,Bangalore; Reader in Sociology University of Mysore; Reader/ Professor of Sociology Bangalore University; Visiting Professor  NLSIU, Bangalore.

 

Student leader during college days, participated in anti Hindi agitation and came under the influence of Rajaji ;P Kodanda Rao and others. Attended the All India Students' Language Conference  at Calcutta in 1967 and came under the influence of DSO, student wing of SUCI. Active in Teachers' movement as well as  during The Emergency. Elected to the academic council of Bangalore University for two terms. 

 

Edited and published Padigal, a little magazine in Tamil. Organised the little magazines of Tamil  into an umbrella organisation called Ilakku. Organised several conferences, seminars in different places in Tamilnadu on Tamil literature, culture and succeeded in forming a united front of serious scholars, academics, writers  and grass root activists against commercialization of Tamil literature/ culture.

Actively associated with PPST since its inception- an  unacknowledged sociologist in a group dominated by engineers and  scientists! Associated with Vidya Ashram, and Loka Vidya Jan Andolan , Varanasi and Loka Vidya Vedike ,Bengaluru. Member , Gram Seva Sangha, Bengaluru.

 

Married to Rajkumari , a bank executive , in 1985. Have two sons, Ravi and Prakash, both very eligible bachelors. After retirement, built a small house in south Bengaluru. 

 

Meeting Dharampalji around 1981 was a ' game changer'.  I was so much taken over by his ideas and charm, I was in very close and constant contact with him till his death.  I cannot forget the last time I met him at Sevagram, in August 2006. After spending three days with him ,when I took leave of him  I touched his feet for the first time!