I was a dimwit, sat on last bench in school, says Kumaraswamy

BENGALURU: “I was a dadda (dimwit) and feared lecturers would shoot questions at me if I sat in the front bench. I always sat on the last bench.” The frank admission by an alumnus of National Degree College (Autonomous), Jayanagar on Monday raised eyebrows.
For, the confesser was none other than chief minister HD Kumaraswamy + , who will now have to sit in the front row during assembly sessions and field questions from the opposition.

Kumaraswamy, who came to his alma mater after 12 years, was felicitated during the centenary celebrations of National Education Society of Karnataka and birth centenary of H Narasimhaiah, who was president of the society. Kumaraswamy was a science graduate from the college.

Recalling his student days (1978-80), the CM said, “I was a big fan of Dr Rajkumar and used to watch his movies. If I was a good student, I would have ended up becoming an IAS officer. But things turned out to be very different.”

“My father (former PM HD Deve Gowda) always dismissed me as a useless peson and said I would never grow in life. But I managed to enter politics and when I won for the first time as MP, I worked hard which got me good recognition. I consider myself a lucky politician,” he said.

“I spent my carefree days in college. Today’s students shouldn’t always be carefree, they should be responsible too,” he added.

He said students could meet him anytime in Vidhana Soudha. “They don’t need to take an appointment or get a permission letter. They can say they have to meet the CM and walk into my office,” he said.