Maski: Call it her tryst with destiny or her hour of crowning glory. This girl from Maski is basking in glory and for good reason. Not many here know who Shobha is. A chit of a girl, she rarely corners attention and can easily pass off for any other government school student. That is until you know that she was one among the 11 children who represented the State at the Children’s Day celebrations held in New Delhi on November 14. She was also privileged to have a tete-a-tete with President A P J Abdul Kalam.
Shobha is the daughter of one Hamali Yamunappa who can barely make two ends meet. But her journey from abject poverty to the doorsteps of Delhi is both fascinating as well as touching. Out of the 11 students selected to represent the State, three are from Hyderabad-Karnataka and Shobha is the only one to represent Raichur and Koppal district.