Prakash Mangalpadi was an automobile technician. As fate would have it, once when he was repairing a bus it accidentally ran over him, incapacitating him waist down. He was bedridden for months and could not move without help. Once the breadwinner of the family, he was reduced to being a patient for life. He lost all hope. Occasionally he would listen to the radio just to break the monotony of a miserable life. Once when he tuned in, by chance he came across some interesting programme in his mother tongue – Tulu. He was pleasantly surprised. He kept the radio on for the whole day and realised that the station was broadcasting not just in Tulu but three other local languages – Konkani, Beary (spoken by Muslims) and Kannada. What excited him further was the fact that the station was also broadcasting the most popular art form of the region yakshagana on a daily basis. Soon he got addicted to listening to various programmes and calling up the station during live phone-ins. Once in a way he would narrate his story and soon became a household name. It is this bond that gave new hope to Prakash Mangalpadi even as he continued to be confined to bed.

Melwyn Pinto, SJ

Melwyn Pinto, SJ (KAR) is the Director at St Aloysius Institute of Management and Information Technology (AIMIT), Mangaluru. He teaches Journalism and Mass Communication at St Aloysius College, Mangaluru. He can be contacted at [email protected]