Two Decades of Change: Lohia Thinkers Forum Empowers Rural Karnataka with Laptops

In a dusty schoolyard in Malavalli Taluka, Karnataka, 150 rural students received laptops this month, a milestone in the Lohia Thinkers Forum’s 20-year quest to uplift the marginalized. Founded by Shivanna B S—affectionately dubbed “Laptop Anna”—the NGO celebrated its anniversary by handing out devices to students in professional courses like engineering and medicine. Since 2020, over 475 laptops have been distributed, a lifeline for youth in a digital world where access often dictates opportunity.

Born in 1960 in Dadadapura to illiterate farmers, Shivanna built the Forum in 2004 on the socialist principles of Ram Manohar Lohia. A civil engineer by trade, he’s spent decades dismantling barriers of caste, class, and geography. “This isn’t charity,” he told the crowd, his tone firm yet warm. “It’s about justice—giving these kids the tools to compete on equal footing.” Local teacher Anitha Gowda agreed: “Students who once struggled with shared textbooks now have a universe of knowledge in their hands.”

The Forum’s impact stretches far beyond education. In 2013-14, Shivanna constructed 1,000 free toilets in Bandur and Dugganahalli, beating national sanitation campaigns to the punch and making Mandya a pioneer. In 2016, he brought LPG cylinders to 500 households, creating Karnataka’s first “smoke-less village” in Bandur. These efforts, born from his technical expertise and deep care for rural life, tackled health and dignity head-on.

Shivanna’s work is as systemic as it is compassionate. His free bus pass initiative for 6,500 Malavalli students slashed dropouts, inspiring a statewide program in 2018-19. Annual job fairs have opened corporate doors for rural youth, while educational tours and prizes for top students spark aspiration. Since 2022, he’s invested Rs. 4 lakhs yearly in LIC policies for manual scavengers—rechristened “Civic Warriors”—honoring their labor with security.

A lifelong Lohia ideologist, Shivanna’s activism has shaped policy too. His advocacy influenced the 1989 Panchayat Raj amendments for political reservations, and his 2020 Public Interest Litigation boosted educational loans for the jobless. His “One Nation, One Education” campaign calls for a unified curriculum to level the academic playing field. At 64, while pursuing a Ph.D., he’s as driven as ever.

“Shivanna doesn’t wait for change—he makes it,” said Dr. Ravi Kumar, a Bengaluru-based sociologist. From planting 1 lakh saplings in the 1980s to launching health camps and housing schemes, his legacy is vast. The recent laptop drive, part of a 20-year journey, underscores his belief: “Change starts small, but it grows with conviction.” For Karnataka’s rural students, that conviction is rewriting their futures.

Disclaimer: No Asian Age journalist was involved in the creation of this content. The group also takes no responsibility for this content.