by reciprocal arrangement with Star of Mysore
Mysore, Apr 9: She is a jailbird but not prepared to languish by suppressing her dreams. With a quest to reform the society, the tool she has chosen is a career in journalism.
The jailbird in question is Padmavathi Guttedar, wife of late Ashok Guttedar, brother of former Minister Malikaiah Guttedar. In collusion with her paramour Subhash Patil, Padmavathi was alleged to have masterminded the killing of her husband in 1993. The effect is, she is now undergoing life imprisonment. She, along with Subhash, has already completed four years in jail.
"Media personnel are responsible for my plight. I said something and newspapers published something else, ultimately distorting everything. All my dreams were shattered. I took up journalism to voice my true and real feelings and teach a lesson to media personnel who are experts in distorting news", says Padmavathi who has taken up MA (Mass Communication) course of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU). She is in city now for the 5-day contact programme as part of the course.
"There are many sufferers like me in the jail. Injustice has been meted out to them also. To expose the truth of their lives, I have chosen journalism. My lover Subhash is a great source of inspiration. He always says that. I have grit, determination and straight forwardness, all qualities essential for a journalist", said Padmavathi, who is continuing education having dropped out of B.Com while in Bangalore.
Subhash Patil too has given up his medical education and wants to pursue journalism. The duo want to bring out truth of their lives through journalism and be a source of inspiration for such aggrieved people.
Asked whether she regretted for her crime, Padmavathi boldly said, "why regret? To live with my lover, I had to forego my husband. Of course, killing him was a mistake and I am undergoing the sentence for that. I never felt it wrong to have an affair with Subhash.
My aim is to marry Subhash Patil. We together want to take up journalism in a fullfledged manner,' says the Padmavathi.
Having shattered a nice family and though landed in the jail, Padmavathi is going all out to tackle the society with her pen.
Padmavathi is lodged in Mysore jail during the contact programme. Lady constables escort her to KSOU campus.