In Memoriam: Namasayya Basawantayya Hiremath

On October 24, 2004, Namasayya Basawantayya Hiremath died

at the age of 88. Mr. NB, as he became fondly known, was a

true humanitarian. His association with Peace Corps started

after he returned from the US where he earned an MS in

Agricultural Sciences at the University of Missouri. The

 Government of Mysore assigned him to be Principal of the

Gramasevaka Training Center in Gangavathi, Raichur District,

 Karnataka. The day after he arrived in Gangavathi in

June 1963, he learned that he was the supervisor of three

(later four) India III Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs).

Mr. Hiremath guided those young Volunteers in their work and

left them with a life-long respect and love for India and her

people.  In turn, Mr. Hiremath began a long association with

Peace Corps/India that ended only when Peace Corps closed

its program in India.

In the early days of Indian poultry development, Mr. Hiremath

co-authored the booklet "Modern Poultry Farming for Profit"

which was translated into at least four Indian languages and

widely used by poultry farmers and PCVs in India.

In the mid-1960s he worked with PC/Bangalore staff to design

and implement an innovative Village Level Food Production

Program in Karnataka for India 38 and 42 PCVs. This program

was part of the "Green Revolution" promoting and teaching

the use of high-yielding varieties of crops to increase food

production. 

After retiring from the Government of Mysore service,

Mr. Hiremath was PC Training Co-Director for

the India 124, 125 and 126 Science Teacher Training Workshop 

Program for Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa states.

Subsequently he was the Director in the PC/Orissa Office and

finished up at PC/Bangalore where in 1975 he had the sad job

of helping close out PC programs in India. 

Still eager to contribute to the less fortunate of India, he joined

World Neighbors for several years. Even after he officially retired,

he continued to share his knowledge and energy. In 1994 when

our daughter and I visited the Hiremaths at their home in

Basawana Kudichi village, Belgaum District, Karnataka, we watched 

him, then age 79, spend afternoons tutoring a young village boy. 

Mr. Hiremath truly made a difference in his lifetime. While

respecting cultural variations, he was adept at bridging

the differences between Indians and Americans and he elicited

the best in both. He improved the lives of those around him and

inspired so many of us who had the opportunity of knowing and

working with him.

Those whose lives he touched will remember him always and miss him. 

Jack and Alice Slattery (India 3)

Comments

[Maureen Nichols]

On October 24, 2004, Shri Narsimha Basawaraj Hiremath diedat the age of 88. Mr. NB, as he became fondly known, was a true humanitarian. His association with Peace Corps started after he returned from the US where he earned an MS inAgricultural Sciences at the University of Missouri. The Government of Mysore assigned him to be Principal of the Gramasevaka Training Center in Gangavathi, Raichur District, Karnataka. The day after he arrived in Gangavathi in June 1963, he learned that he was the supervisor of three (later four) India III Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs). Mr. Hiremath guided those young Volunteers in their work andleft them with a life-long respect and love for India and her people. In turn, Mr. Hiremath began a long association with Peace Corps/India that ended only when Peace Corps closedits program in India.
In the early days of Indian poultry development, Mr. Hiremath co-authored the booklet "Modern Poultry Farming for Profit" which was translated into at least four Indian languages and widely used by poultry farmers and PCVs in India. In the mid-1960s he worked with PC/Bangalore staff to designand implement an innovative Village Level Food Production Program in Karnataka for India 38 and 42 PCVs. This program was part of the "Green Revolution" promoting and teaching the use of high-yielding varieties of crops to increase food production. After retiring from the Government of Mysore service, Mr. Hiremath was PC Training Co-Director for the India 124, 125 and 126 Science Teacher Training Workshop Program for Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa states. Subsequently he was the Director in the PC/Orissa Office and finished up at PC/Bangalore where in 1975 he had the sad job of helping close out PC programs in India. Still eager to contribute to the less fortunate of India, he joined World Neighbors for several years. Even after he officially retired, he continued to share his knowledge and energy. In 1994 when our daughter and Jack visited the Hiremaths at their home in Basawana Kudichi village, Belgaum District,Karnataka, we watched him, then age 79, spend afternoons tutoring a young village boy. Mr. Hiremath truly made a difference in his lifetime. While respecting cultural variations, he was adept at bridging the differences between Indians and Americans and he elicited the best in both. He improved the lives of those around him and inspired so many of us who had the opportunity of knowing and working with him. Those whose lives he touched will remember him always and miss him. Jack and Alice Slattery (India 3)