Silveser D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Feb 22: People including small children in the town and surrounding villages are familiar with Ice cream Basavanna. Because, he has been unfailingly moving around these areas with a pushcart full of different flavours of ice creams for the last 40 years, covering a distance of 20 km every day on an average.

No one except close ones knows him by his original name, Hennabail Basava Kulal. Basavanna, who came from a poor family, is habitually a hardworking individual since childhood.  He moves through the roads he has been treading since long, without a trace of tiredness.

Basavanna, now 66, is busy round the year except the monsoon season spanning four months.  His pushcart begins its journey from Kundapur carrying Usha brand of ice creams, and moves through Koni, Basrur, Margoli, Anagalli, and other villages, before reaching its base in the town by evening. Basavanna agrees that the income from this venture has been enough to run his family. Although he has not achieved anything dramatic financially over the years, Basavanna has the satisfaction of providing good refinement and education to his children.

Basavanna recalls that when he began this business during his youth, only ice candies, made by freezing water mixed with flavoured sugar syrup, were known in the market.  “Then, one could buy two candies for five paise. Initially, the maximum sale I could achieve was Rs 20, out of which I got an income of five to six rupees,” he recollects.

He adds that different varieties of ice creams have now taken over the place of ice candies, and the children who bought candies from him then have got married and raised children. He does not forget to remind us that these people and their children continue to buy ice creams from him, and that he values their affection and trust a lot.

Basavanna’s ice creams are backed by a touch of love, care, and affection. He speaks softly and lovingly to every prospective customer, and is never annoyed or disappointed at anyone. Those who have remained his ardent customers say that Basavanna has remained the same all through these years, even though they and their lives have undergone thorough changes.

There are many who have switched from pushcarts to three-wheelers and four-wheelers. But Basavanna continues to rely on his two-wheeled pushcart for conducting his business. He comes from far off Hosangady everyday to conduct his business. There have been occasions in which those who have recognized his hard work and sincerity have felicitated him. Basavanna, who lives with wife, two daughters, and two sons, deserves three cheers, for remaining unchanged, and satiating the demands of his customers waiting in villages without any trace of boredom or tiredness.