Activist, motivator, actor Abdul Jabbar Ponnodi loses decade long battle with cancer

coastaldigest.com news network
May 3, 2018

Mangaluru, May 3: The untimely death of this young cancer patient, who was known as a “motivator”, has come as a shock and source of great sadness for his friends and well wishers across Dakshina Kannada and other parts of Karnataka.

Abdul Jabbar aka Abdul Jabbar Ponnodi, who was suffering from a cancer for past 11 years, breathed his last at a private hospital in the city at around 12 a.m. on Thursday. He is survived by his parents, a brother and three sisters.

Hailing from a poor family in Ponnodi village near BC Road in Batnwal taluk of the coastal district, Abdul Jabbar in spite of his illness and unbearable pain in his body, had become an inspiration for many.

Abdul Khader Kukkila, editor of Sanmaarga Kannada weekly, who also happens to be one of the co-brothers of Abdul Jabbar, says that though the Big C didn’t allow the latter even to breathe properly, he used to console other cancer patients and instil courage and confidence in them.

“He married my sister-in-law nearly one and a half years ago. Though the cancer had almost destroyed him, he tried his best to lead a normal life in spite of all his pains. He was talkative and friendly with all. One of his sisters recently completed MBBS thanks to his encouragement,” says Mr Kukkila.

“Cancer is mere a bodily disease. It should be restricted to the body and not the mind...” This was the reply given by the brave Abdul Jabbar to his well wishers when they questioned his decision to act in a movie to create awareness about caner a few months ago after his doctors dropped sufficient hints that he may not live beyond six months.

Abdul Jabbar had recently launched a free YouTube channel, ‘Kannada gadgets’ to share his knowledge with Kannadigas about the features modern gadgets, problems faced by people while operating them and simple solutions.

Kannada writer and director Yogesh Master had hastened to launch the shooting of his new flick Hamasageete which talks about the story of cancer survivors, after realising that Abdul Jababr’s days were numbered.

“I wanted to cast Abdul Jabbar because he’s the real hero,” says Yogesh Master, who had come to know about the “rare fighter” through Facebook. “He was hardworking and never tried to gain sympathy,” the director was quoted as saying by a news paper.

Comments

Kumar
 - 
Thursday, 3 May 2018

Ponnodi sir didnt fail in front of death. Death failed in front of his willpower and positive mind

Ganesh
 - 
Thursday, 3 May 2018

Deep condolences.. No death for the real warrior

Shahir
 - 
Thursday, 3 May 2018

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. 

Danish
 - 
Thursday, 3 May 2018

Great personality. It's hard to concentrate for other people while having the unbearable pain of cancer

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Media Release
January 23,2020

Mangaluru, Jan 23: With the results of Joint Entrance Examination (JEE-Main) out, it is celebration time at CFAL (Centre for Advanced Learning), Mangalore’s top training institute as 12 of its students have secured above 99 percentile, out of 120 students who appeared at the prestigious national examination held in January this year. The students are: Kaustubh Rao (99.79), Ujwal Kumar (99.77), Dheeraj Kamath (99.74), Pramod Rao (99.68), Santhosh M (99.59), Mohan Nayak (99.49), Rihan D’silva (99.43), Rishan D’silva (99.41), Pranav Rao (99.41), Aamod BK (99.29), Anmol J Shetty (99.22) and Madhura Sabhahit (99.083).

Apart from the above students, 8 students have scored above 98 percentile, the details of the students are: D.K. Goutham (98.67), Tejah S.S. (98.49), Akash Shetty (98.4), Tejas Bhat K (98.34), Ninaad PS (98.31), Shreepoorna Rao (98.3), K. Annapoorna Prabhu (98.3) and Rakshith Sajjan (98.2). The results of many more students are awaited.

A total of 8,69,010 students had appeared in the said exam from across India. The students who have attempted the JEE Main exam in January can attempt the exams again in April to better their percentile. Students who clear JEE Main qualify for JEE Advanced and are eligible for seats at the NIT’s and other top institutions of the country.

JEE – The most challenging undergraduate admission test

Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) conducted this year by National Testing Agency (NTA) is a national level examination for students to qualify and pursue engineering degree at under graduate level. Paper 1 is held for BE/B.Tech admissions and Paper 2 for B. Arch/B. Planning. JEE Main is a critical criterion for admission in India’s most prestigious and elite universities like IITs and NIT’s.

Those students who clear JEE Main can take the JEE advanced – which is a pre-requisite requirement for admission in the Indian Institute of Technology and Indian School of Mines (Dhanbad)

CFAL – The first name in training

The training at CFAL consists of defined hours of classes, tests and mock exams, unique course material, experienced professors and hence is the first choice for students appearing for STEM examinations including JEE, NTSE, KYPY, OLYMPIADS etc.  The centre was established with the intention of giving students of Mangalore information, guidance and tools required to qualify the competitive exams. However, the main aim of CFAL is to inculcate passion for Math and Science learning among students and to encourage research and innovation in the subjects.

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Press Release
January 2,2020

Mangaluru, Jan 2: Seven achievers from various fields including Kannada writer and thinker Boluvaru Muhammad Kunhi have been chose for ‘Sandesha’ Awards for the year 2020.

Announcing this at a press meet in the presence of Sandesha director Fr Francis Assisi Almeida, writer Na D’Souza said that the award ceremony will be held on 9 February 2020 at 5:30 pm at the Sandesha Premises.

Bishop of Ballari Diocese and president of Sandesha Foundation, Dr Henry D’Souza will preside over. President of Karnataka Sahitya Academy Dr B V Vasanth Kumar will be the chief guest. Bishop of Mangaluru Diocese Dr Peter Paul Saldanha and Bishop of Udupi Diocese Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo will be the guests. MLA of Mangaluru South Constituency Vedvyas Kamath and Film Music Director Cajetan Dais will be the guests of honour”.

Awards and Awardees

1. Sandesha Literature Award (Kannada)- Mr. Boluvaru Muhammad Kunhi

He was born in 1951at Puttur. He has secured gold medal in Kannada Post Graduation from Mysore University. At present he is retired and settled at Bangalore after serving 40 years in Syndicate Bank as an officer.

He is the only Indian writer conferred with Central Sahitya Academy twice (2010 & 2016) for creative prose. He is also the first ever Kannada writer conferred with `BalaSahityaPuraskar’ by Central Sahitya Academy. His epic 1,110-page opus named "Swathranthada Ota" (in English: The run for independence) released on 18 March 2012 at RavindraKalakshetra, Bangalore by the world famous Sarod artist Pandit Rajiv Taranath.

He worked as Senate Member in Hampi Kannada University, Kannada Sahitya Academyand KannadaPustakaPradhikara. He also worked as State president for `Samudaya’ Cultural Organisation, as Convener to BandayaSahityaSangha, as Edirot to GIANT (Syndicate Bank's House Magazine) KRISHILOKA (Syndicate Bank's Magazine), as member to RDC (Syndicate Bank's Rural Development Institute), Self-Employment Training Institute (RUDSETI- Dharmastala). He was the President for Kannada BelesiBalaga and ChitraSamudaya (Film Division)

2. Sandesha Literature Award (Konkani): Mr. ValliVagga (Mr. Valerian D Souza)

He was born at Vagga of BantawalTaluk of Dakshina Kannada in the year 1947. His pen name is ‘ValliVagga’. He was an industrialist and at present he is retired and continuing is service in literature. In 55 years of his service in the field of Konkani literature, he has written some 150 short stories, 140 poems and 120 articles in different papers, magazines and websites. Out of these articles, some 40 articles have been translated and published in different papers.

He has published 8 books and his Konkani drama “KhandhiKuris” has already had 13 exhibitions. He has been honoured by Karnataka Konkani Academy, Konkani Kutam Bahrain and Daiji Dubai and also he has worked at various capacities in the field of Konkani Literature.

3. Sandesha Media Award: Mr. Shiv Kumar

Professionally he is an engineer and living in Bangalore. For the last 32 years he has been running a magazine called “Aparanji” as an editor. Already he has written 12 books and through his jokes, literature and science he has been decimating information to the general public.  For his literary work in jokes, he has been awarded with Karnataka Sahitya Academy award.

4. Sandesha Konkani Music Award: Mrs. Helen D’Cruz

Mrs.Helen Correa was born in Africa to late Flora and Alexander Correa. In Mumbai Helen was working for women’s magazine Eve’s weekly and had the opportunity to meet some of the best Bollywood actors and singers notable among them GeetaDutt and Hemant Kumar. She has also worked closely with late DivyaniChaubal, writer-columnist and well-known film critic.

She is one of the greatest legends of Konkani stage who stood her own along with Bollywood fame Hemanth Kumar and SangeethSamrat Henry D’Souza. She is known for immortal Konkani hits like ‘Ye..Ye..Katrina’, ‘ChondremUdevnAilo’, ‘GharasoDivo’, ‘SuryachiKirnam’, and many more. Helen’s music journey from Africa–Mangalore–Mumbai-Kuwait-Mumbai is quite astonishing.

Helen had created a sensation in the Konkani music world with her melodious and mellifluous voice in the early 60s and 70s thus giving a big fillip to Konkani music. She was the first reputed Konkani female singer in Mumbai. “SuryachinKirnan” of Jerome D Souza was her first song in radio in 1961 and with that Helen the singer had arrived on the scene. She sang many songs with Alphonso D Costa and also with Henry D Souza.

Helen has also cut an album with Henry D’ Souza with some memorable songs like “ChandremUdevn”, “Sezari”, “GharachoDivo” and of course “Katrina”. Though all the songs were quite melodious and hummable Katrina song hit the bull’s eye. Helen recalls that in during the general elections in Goa the Katrina song had gained lot of fame. Helen also reached the zenith of her popularity with some of the evergreen numbers like “DaryachaDaryachaLarani”, written by Henry, “KalzanthUllasBhorla, BhovtinVaren Valla.” “NaamvmujeLeena”, “Sanjecha Velar” (both tunes by Helen). Helen has also written lyrics of the song “TuMaka”. Apart from Alphonso, Henry and Hemant Kumar, Helen has sung with Jerome D Souza and Henry Moraes (in plays).

5. Sandesha Art Award: Dr. K. S. Pavithra

She is Psychiatrist by profession. Not only she is a good physician and researcher but also a good dancer (Artist). She has done her studies in Bharatnatyam and presently teaching several students. She is the director of Shri Vijay Kalanikethan ® at Shimoga. She has performed various dance programmes at the international level too.

As a dancer and also as a coordinator she has performed many programmes at the national and international level. She has received regional, national and international awards and also she is one among the 25 artists selected by India to participate for the International Festival.

6. Sandesha  Teacher Award: Mrs. Justin D Souza

For the past five decades, as a head of the Siddaganga Education Institution at Davanagere, Mrs. Justin D Souza has served in the field of education along with areas of culture, sports, science and art. She has given prominence to her students to build the leadership in the society by providing them proper channels and avenues.

She has set an example to others by creating environment friendly school and worked hard to recognize her school as a ‘school free from waste materials’. She has been working as a member of several associations of literature and published a book by name “SiddagangeyaSiri”.

She has bagged several awards namely “SevaDhurine”, “Shikshana Shri”, “ShikshanaSiri”, “ShramikaMahile” “Sharada” “Avva” “Kayaka Shri”, “VratthiChaitanyaRatna”, “ShikshanaShiromani” “VidhyadhareSarsvathi” and so on. She has been honoured with Kannada Rajyostva Award too.

7. Sandesha Special Recognition Award- Achievement: Mr. Vincent Prakash Carlo:

For the past 31 years, he has been in the field of Body building and power lifting and he has represented India at International level and brought honour to the nation. He has been a great inspiration to the youth and others to get motivated to keep a healthy body by getting trained themselves under his effective training.

He is from Mangalore. He is a Body Builder and Power lifter. He has participated in 11 international competitions and bagged 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 bronze. He has participated in 24 National Level and 28 state level Competitions and bagged 28 Gold, 17 silver and 7 bronze medals.

He has been honoured twice with “Strong Man of India” and twice as “Strong man of South India”

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News Network
March 27,2020

Mangaluru, Mar 27: In the wake of mounting number of coronavirus positive cases in Dakshina Kannada and surrounding areas, the government has decided to fully shut down the coastal district on Saturday, March 28.

Announcing this today, district in charge minister Kota Srinivas Poojary urged the people not to step out their homes at any cost for any reason as nothing would be available outside except the deadly coronavirus.

All grocery stores, food outlets and markets also are likely to remain closed. For last few days grocery shops remained open till noon. 

Dakshina Kannada today reported two fresh cases of Covid-19. So far the district witnessed seven positive cases and none of them are fully cured. Shockingly neighboring district of Kasargod today reported 34 new coronavirus positive cases on a single day.

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