Mangalore, February 26: Ten achievers from different fields were conferred with Sandesha Awards 2012 at a colourful function held in the premises of Sandesha Lalithakala Mahavidyalaya at Bajjody in the City on Sunday. The awards are being given for the past 21 years.
Kannada writer Vaidehi, who was the chief guest of the occasion, said that the awards constituted by Sandesha Foundation for Culture and Education, was indeed an effort towards establishing harmony.
Like Sandesha, she said, many Christian organizations have been relentlessly serving the society in this part of the state for many years.
“The contribution of Christian institutions in the field of education and culture, especially in Mangalore is commendable”, she added.
Educationist and philanthropist John D'Silva of Karkala was honoured with special recognition award while Kannada Literature Award was conferred on K V Thirumalesh, who has to his credit 30 works, among which are anthologies of poems and short stories, collections of columns and reviews, novels, and works on linguistics.
The Konkani Literature Award was given to M Madhava Pai whose greatest contribution is the 750-page Kannada-Konkani dictionary.
The Literature Award was conferred on Catherine Rodrigues, who has to her credit 57 Tulu plays. She has also won the Late Dharmasthala Ratnavarma Heggade Tulu drama writing competition award 10 times.
Sandesha Arts and Journalism awards were given to internationally acclaimed artist Peter Lewis and editor of Honnapura Samvada Indudhara Honnapura, respectively.
The Media Education Award will be conferred on Shree Padre of Kasaragod, an agriculturist. He is known for promoting rain water harvesting and bringing to light the alleged ill-effects of endosulfan pesticide in Padre village of Kasargod in Kerala.
The Sandesha Best Teacher Award was conferred on Rev. Sr. Maria Jyothi AC for services rendered to special children.
Lyricist, writer and movie director Geethapriya aka Laxman Rao Mohite, who has been chosen for Sandesha Cinema Award could not attend the ceremony, due to ill health. The organisers announced that they will confer the award at his home.
Late Jerome D'Souza, who had contributed over 1,000 songs, 14 music albums, and two anthologies titled Amchim Podam, was conferred with Konkani Music Award, posthumously. The widow of the achiever received the award.
The award, instituted by the Sandesha Foundation for Culture and Education here, carries Rs 10,000 in cash, a shawl, a citation, and a trophy.
In his presidential address, Mangalore Bishop Aloysius Paul D'Souza said the achievers are being recognised with the Sandesha Awards for their contributions in building a value-based society and for strengthening harmony in it.
Terming the awardees as precious gems, he appealed them to continue their voyage in the respective fields so that the society becomes more powerful in terms of values. “What we need today is not criticism, but constructive solution to the existing problems,” he said.
Henry D'Souza, bishop of Bellary and chairman of Sandesha, Dr Na D'Souza, head of the awards' jury among others were present on the occasion. A cultural extravaganza followed.
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