FIRST BADAGA

It will be very interesting [I hope as well as informative & motivating] to list all those BADAGAS who were / are the ‘FIRST’ in any field.Where I am not sure, I have put a question mark, so that someone may supply the correct or corrected info.

Rao Bahadur HJ Bellie Gowder
[Hubbathalai > married Nanji Ammal from Jakkadha, 18?? - 1935]

-First Badaga to be honoured by the British with ‘ Rao Sahib & Rao Bahadur’ titles ( late 1920s)
- [probably] First to speak in Eleven Languages including Badaga, Toda, Kotha, Kuruma, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam,Telugu, English, Hindi & Spanish and write in all where the script existed WITHOUT ANY FORMAL EDUCATION – GOING TO ANY SCHOOL (his mother stopped him as she was scared that the teacher would beat him)
- First to open a school at Hubbathalai (later named after him) basically to cater to Badaga students [a hostel was also built for them].

Rao Bahadur HB Ari Gowder
[Hubbathalai > married Gauri Ammal from Jakkadha, 4-12-1893 - 26-6-1971)

- First Badaga Graduate, Presidency College , Madras (1920?)
- First Badaga to tour the world (1930)
- First Badaga to lead an Indian Delagation (World Scout Jumboree in Hungary)(1930)
- First Badaga MLA & MLC (1940)
- First son (after his father Rao Bahadur HJ Bellie Gowder) also to be honoured with Rao Bahadur title.

N.Lingan

[Thangadu >13 Nov 1908 - 1964]

Mr.Lingan was the first in the Badaga community to wear the black robe and among the earliest to occupy the chair of the President of the local Bar Association and was also the first Chairman of the Udhagamandalam Municipal Council (UMC) after Independence and trustee of institutions like the Assembly Rooms and the Lawley Institute.

When this district was in dire need of a higher education facility, Mr.Lingan became a member of a 14-member committee headed by Rao Bahadur HB Ari Gowder, which was instrumental in the Government Arts College coming into being here during 1955. [ Info courtesy - Devaraj Rangan, Porore]

KM Sevannah Gowder
[Bearhatty > married Sarojini Madhan from Hulikal, 1915 - 1999, Mrs.Akkama Devi's elder brother]

- First Engineer [B.E (Mech) - Madras University]
- First Professor (?) Engineering College Guindy & GCT, Coimbatore,

Mrs. Akkama Devi
[Bearatty - married > HB Joghee Gowder [HB Ari Gowder's brother] from Hubbathalai, 1917 – ]

photo from The Hindu

- First Badaga woman graduate
- First Badaga woman MP

Dr.Bellie

[Yedapalli > married from ? > 19??- 19??]

- First Badaga M.B.B.S doctor

Dr. Krishnan
[Thangadu >married > Michi Ammal from Kiya Kundhe, Birth & death years ??]

First LMP Doctor

Dharmalingam

First Journalist

M.K. Bhat – Full name – Mr. Muthiah Kariabettan,

(Muttinadu, Married to Mrs.Devaki from Mel Hosatty,1912-1969)

First State Officer who retired as Joint Registrar of Co-op Society (info courtesy Kariabettan Sugumar)

Dr. Haliah
[Muttinaadu > married > Parvathi [Karuppi] from Ketchigatti, B & D yrs…? ]

- First Ph.D
- First Dean [Karnataka]

HA Bhojraj
[Hubbathalai > married > Rukmani from Ketchigatti, 1923-1997, HB Ari Gowder's son]

HA Bhojraj Sketch by grandson Abhimanyu

- First South India Golf Champion (Won many tournaments in Golf)

Justice EJ Bellie
[Eethorai > married Vimala from Bearatty, 193? - ]

- First High Court (Madras) Judge

Colonel J Nandhi
[born Kerkandi > married Indrani from Mullimalai, 194? -]

- First [engineer] Colonel in the Army
- First to play in Madras University Football Team

Mrs. Indu K Mallah
[Hubbathalai - married Kakamallah from Ketchigatti, 194? - ]

- First to have her novel in English published
- First Woman Member of Nilgiri District Consumer Court

Hiriya

[Ketti>...] Advocate

First to play football for Madras University

T. Gopal
[Mel Bikkatti (Ketti) > married Sushila from Ketchigatti, 1947 - ]

- First Engineer who established a heavy industry (manufacturing heavy industrial boilers, GM of India Meters) & now a software company for SMEs known throughout the world. He has many firsts – I am trying to gather the details

Wing Commander Bellie Jayaprakash
[Bearatty > married > Tara from Hubbathalai, 1948 - ]

- First [engineer] Wing Commander in Air Force(?)
- First to play hockey for Air Force
- First to be the selector for Services[ Joint Army,Navy & Air Force] hockey team in the National level
- First NIS Coach in Hockey (Diploma in Coaching]
- First to pass both basic [HMI, Darjeeling] & advanced [NIM, Utterkashi] mountaineering courses with alfa-instructor grading [cleared for expeditions]
- First to be associated with Asian Games (1982) as Joint Director, Asian Games Village & Dy. Director (Protocol)

Sundaradevan
[Melur Adigaratti > married .., 19?? - ]

- First IAS Officer {through UPSC}

Ramachandran
[Eethorai > married >.. 19?? - ]

- First Cabinet Minister of Tamil Nadu State

Mrs. Sundari
[Karimora - married > ? 194? - ]

- First woman professor(?) [Avinashilingam Home Science College,CBE] in 1960s

Flight Lieutenant KN Ravi
[Ketchigatti, 195? - 198? died in a tragic air accident]

- First Helicopter Pilot in IAF

Gokul
[Pudhuhatti near Ithalar > married to Anitha from Gaikandi > 1973 - ]

- First IFS officer (direct entry) – presently DFO Gadag & Haveri Karnataka

Sivagami Nanda

- First IPS officer

K Premkumar

[Naihatty > Married Sharmila- aka- Seema from Kil Kundha, 1964 - ]

- First (engineer) columnist to write a regular technical analysis on shares – stock market, in ‘Business Line’ – The Hindu Group - First Badaga to have passed CMT (Chartered Market Technician, A USA based degree) and came first in the World ranking.

Wing Commander Saravanan
[Melur > married > ...]

-First Fighter Pilot in IAF

Squadron Leader Urmila Bheeman
[Muligoor >...]

- First Woman commissioned Officer in IAF

Rajan

(Kothagiri)

First to act and direct a Tamil Movie in late 80s (info courtesy Dr.Rajkumar Krishnan)

Rajkumar
[Yellanalli >.....??]

- First to act as the hero of a Badaga Movie ‘KALA THAPPIDHA PAYILU’ [1970s?]

Saravanan.S writes [25 May 2008] :

We, J.B. Santhosh Kumar from Thuratty, Mekala.C from Atthigal, and myself Saravanan.S from Peria Hubbathalai are the first three badagas who have cleared CMT (Certified Medical Transcriptionist) exam conducted by AAMT (American Association of Medical Transcription) in year 2007. Only 2700 professionals have cleared this exam worldwide out of million professionals in this field. For reference, our names can be seen in AHDIorg. com.

Mr.Tirulok

(Kil Kowhatty)

-  First  Badaga , who has got a COMMERCIAL PILOT LICENSE [ pune in april 2009], 28 years old. [Info from KK Bellie, Kundhachappai]

Nivedita Bhojaraj

[Oranalli, Thangadu]

nivedita

First female IFS officer. Came 11th in All India merit

ARJUNAN from kotagiri (hatty—–),

football player in corps of EME presently doing the refree in the ongoing IFA tournament.Today (09 sep 09) he is one of the refree in the match between MOHAN BAGAN VS CHIRAG UNITED at saltlake stadium in Calcutta. (Courtesy ESPN) Mr ARJUNAN is the member of ALL INDIA FOOTBALL ASSOSIATION REFREE’S PANEL.Also tried for FIFA referee panel 4 years  (info – Anand Ramachandran)

R.Rajammal (Kethorai)

It has been an unforgettable day for the 47-year-old first generation learner from the Badaga community, R Rajammal, who is a teacher of Tambaram Kendriya Vidhyalaya (No.2) won the annual award for Teaching Staff 2008 of the Kendriya Vidhayalaya Sangatan (KVS, the apex body that manage KVs in the country). She is credited to be the first woman from the Badaga community to win the award since its inception more than 2 decades ago. This award is given on the Teacher’s Day of every year and it is given for not only the academic performance including students’ results and their experience, but also involves their service towards the community as well as developing innovative teaching methods [The Times of India, Chennai (Saturday, September 6, 2008)] – info sent by - Santhosh Kumar J.B.

Dr. Hariprakash (Soraigundu, Ketti)

Has completed his doctorate from IISc, Bangalore and received young scientist award from HP in Japan. (info courtesy L.Gandhi, Soraigundu)

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