Moily confers Kalakaar Award on Sant Bhadragiri Achyutdasji

Moily confers Kalakaar Award on Sant Bhadragiri Achyutdasji

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, December 6: The highlight of the 11th day of the World Konkani Cultural Convention, the first of its kind in coastal Karnataka, organized by Mandd Sobhann at Kalaangan, was the special awards ceremony during which the 6th annual Kalaakar award, instituted by Thomas Stephens Konkani Kendra and the Carvalho family, was conferred on Sant Bhadragiri Achyutadasji of Bangalore, the internationally acclaimed Harikatha exponent. M. Veerappa Moily, the union law and justice minister, conferred the prestigious award on Sant Achyutadasji.

 

 

Tomazinho Cardoz, the noted Goan tiatrist and Tiatr Akademy president; Premanand Lotlikar, the president of the Dalgado Konkani Akademy; Dr. Pratap Naik SJ, the director of the Thomas Stephens Konkani Kendra; Louis J. Pinto, president of Mandd Sobhann; and Mathilda Pinto, the convener of the felicitation committee, were the dignitaries on the dais.

In his address, which he began with the Konkani words “Tumkam sorvank swagoth,” Moily said that he felt honored to honor a person like Sant Achyutadasji. He concluded with a quote from Sant Kabir and urged the Konkani-speaking people to plunge into the river, swim, and reach ashore without waiting for a boat. Since he had to leave early, he sought the permission of Sant Achyutadasji to leave in response to which the Harikatha expert put his own garland around the neck of the minister.

Speaking of the beauty of Konkani, Achyutadasji quoted heavily from Sant Dnyaneshwar of Maharashtra who composed kirtans in Konkani. In a speech liberally dosed with humor, he criticized human greed and urged the community not to get carried away by the “mummy” culture and spoke of the joy of calling one’s mother “Amma” or “Aai” in pure Konkani. He also thanked Mandd Sobhann for conferring this honor on him.

The highlights of the cultural programme were the Choral Fiesta, presented by Rachol Seminary, a choir based in Goa.

Later, Dr. V. S. Acharya, the higher education minister, gave away prizes to the winners of various competitions conducted earlier. Matilda Pinto, the convener of the felicitation committee, read the citation in honor of Achyutadasji. The comperers were Lavita Lobo and Arunraj Rodrigues.

 

Moily criticizes swamijis supporting Yeddyurappa

Speaking at the induction ceremony of the Hebri Block Congress office bearers, Moily criticized swamijis who are supporting the corrupt BJP government instead of guiding society along the path of dharma. The support of these swamijis indicates that even the seers no longer have any morals, he added.

Agreeing with the statements of Lokayukta Justice Santhosh Hegde, Moily said that the Lokayukta has the special power to inquire and investigate and is equal in power to legal institutions. Complimenting the state unit of the JD(S) for exposing the wrongdoings of Yeddyurappa and his coworkers, he expressed hopes that the Congress will also expose many more acts of corruption.