Bunts – An Historical Portrait

A.B.Shetty was the first Bunt to become a minister in the then Madras and Mysore governments. He also founded the Vijaya Bank in 1931 along with other Bunt leaders of the time.

Bunts occupied many cabinet ministerial positions in various governments at national and state levels. There were about 14 Bunts who became ministers at various periods. Even now there is a minister from Bunt community in the Karnataka government. 

A large number of Bunts were elected to the legislature both at national and state levels since 1947. Supreme Court Justice K.S.Hegde became the Speaker of the parliament. 

Bunts can really boast to have produced more than seven Chairmen of nationalised banks.

Three Bunts became the Supreme Court Justices. There were few High Court Chief Justices and more than 9 Bunts became Justices of High Courts. Many Bunts became prominent lawyers in Mangalore, Bangalore, Madras, Mumbai and Delhi. 

Supreme Court Justice Jagannath Shetty became the Chairman of the Indian Public Service Commission.

Supreme Court Justice Santhosh Hegde became the Lokayuktha in Karnataka and Justice Vishwanath Shetty  is the current Lokayuktha of Karnataka.

Dr. Venkat Shetty co-founded the Nair Hospital in Bombay, along with Dr. A.C. Nair, which later developed into a well known Medical and Dental college complex way back during the 1930’s. He remained the Chairman of the Institution for 20 years.

Bunt entrepreneurs became legendary captains of hotel industry in Mumbai during the 1920’s and 1930’s. The word Shetty came to be identified with hotel industry. The financial source of these captains became the economic back bone for the coastal district. 

Bunts also had more than a fair share of gangsters (Dons) over the years. Some lost their lives in gangland rivalry; few came out of it legally and became businessmen and good citizens. None of the Dons got into active politics. 

Quite a few Bunts became Coffee and Tea Planters during the early decades of the 20th century when the British started leaving their estates. 

Although Bunt landlords and entrepreneurs had plenty of money at the turn of the 19th century, no one had the strategic vision, or the drive, or the skills, or the contacts to think big. As a result South Kanara remained an industrially backward region for the early part of the 20th century when the major business houses emerged in India. 

However, those Bunts who migrated to Mumbai ventured into manufacturing and Thimmappa Bhandary, an engineer in metallurgy, was one of the first Bunts to be a successful entrepreneur. He was followed by many young Bunts who made big names in manufacturing and earned accolades.

Back in South Kanara many Bunts ventured into modern industry and managed highly successful companies. Badila Dooma Rai seem to have been the first Bunt to start a tile factory in Mangalore. 

During the second half of the 20th century couple of Bunts in Karnataka made big names in the construction sector, including some major hydro electric projects and tunnel drilling, road building and dam construction. They became the household names in Bunt families. Several other young Bunt men with excellent managerial skills also joined the band of public works contractors and became very successful. 

Quite a few Bunts became successful Builders and Property Developers. 

Few prominent Bunts engaged in establishing educational trusts to manage and operate medical colleges, nursing colleges, engineering colleges, technical institutions, hotel management colleges, business schools, law colleges and arts and science colleges. Their contribution to the society is valuable and very much appreciated. 

Kaup Muddanna Shetty pioneered horticultural ventures in a big way.

In the services sector Bunts have done extremely well. Many Bunt bus operators became fleet owners during the transport industries boom years. Few young Bunts got into logistics and are managing large international shipping and cargo companies. We have an enterprising young Bunt who owns one of the major cargo companies in the world. 

Bunts contribution to rural health care during the first half of the 20th century forms a golden chapter in the history of Bunts. Equipped with diplomas such as LCP, LIM, LMP etc. they moved to far off villages in the old Hyderabad, Mysore, Madras and Bombay provinces and provided much needed medical care to the rural population at a time when there were shortage of doctors in rural areas. They were highly respected for their valuable services to the rural community. 

In the second half of the 20th century Bunt doctors reached their highest peak in fame and respect. We have world famous heart surgeons, cardiologists, radiologists, neurologists, general surgeons, ENT surgeons, orthopaedic surgeons and outstanding physicians and ophthalmologists.

Bunts love the health care business. Our famous Bunt in the Middle East, is a symbol of success, who owns and manages a huge health care business which is also listed in the London Stock exchange. He also owns an international foreign currency exchange business and probably is the first Dollar Billionaire Bunt. 

There are many hospitals in Bangalore, Mangalore and other cities in Karnataka that are owned and managed by enterprising Bunts. One of the Bunts also ventured into a Care Homes business and built and managed a group of Care Homes in the United Kingdom, providing a valuable service to the community. Their  contribution to the welfare of the society has been very well recognised.

It was the Bunts adventure and the leadership which turned Mangalore, Moodabidre, Nitte and Derlakatta into an educational and cultural hub of international repute. 

Bunts are also shining in the IT sector. And we have few clever Bunts in the Actuarial discipline. Few Bunts also became successful Investment Bankers.

Many Bunts have become professors in their specialist fields. There are more than 10 Bunts who became vice chancellors of Universities in India. There are also few Bunts who are faculty members in prestigious Indian, European and American Universities and Directors of Research Institutions. Bunt community also have highly recognised and successful research fellows in Stem Cells technology.

Bunts were also in the IAS and IFS cadre, including an ambassador. Bunts made fair contributions to the armed forces. Group Captain Dinesh Chandra Bhandary was awarded Vir Chakra for his gallantry during operations against Pakistan in 1971. Wing Commander Prabhakar Hegde was the first Bunt to be awarded with Vir Chakra. We had few Air Marshals, Wing Commanders, Major Generals, Brigadiers and Squadron Leaders in the armed forces. We also had few IGP’s in the police forces. 

Few Bunts were awarded Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibushan which was another remarkable achievement. 

We have a Bunt who has been awarded an MBE by the Queen of England for his services to the British Intelligent Service.

Bunts were in media as well. Two Kannada papers were started by Bunts, Navayuga and Mungaru, in Mangalore. But both were closed down after a decade. There are quite a few successful Bunt journalists working for national news papers. There are few Bunt authors as well. 

Indian film world, including Bollywood, claims handful of Bunt actors, producers and directors. There are many Bunt talents in this industry. We also had few  Miss India and Miss World. There are two shining stars in the galaxy of music directors. We have few young Bunts who are budding actors in the United States and earned few accolades. What more can we expect?

Vijaya Bank was founded by eminent Bunt leaders in 1931. It developed into a national banking institution of repute. A big breakthrough for the bank came when the legendary Sunder Ram Shetty took over the reins of the bank as Chairman and Managing Director in 1970. The bank prospered and along with it, the Bunt community prospered. He promised to give at least one job to every Bunt family in Vijaya bank and he kept his promise. Bunt young men and women occupied positions in Vijaya bank from the lowest to the highest levels of the organisation. He changed the course of Bunt life like no one else did.