Mangaluru: The 27th annual “Sandesha Awards 2017” will be conferred on seven eminent personalities for their immense contribution in different fields, on January 13 at 5.30 PM here at Sandesha premises.
Well-known writer and novelist Na D’ Souza in a press meet on December 20, said, ” Professor Giraddi Govind Raj has been selected for Sandesha Kannada Literature Award, Edi Netto, Jeppu for Sandesha Konkani Literature Award, Ashok Gudigar for Sandesha Art Award, N Guruaj for Sandesha Media Award, K Gandhilingappa for Sandesha Teacher Award, Wilson Olivera for Sandesha Konkani Music Award and T Auto Raja for Sandesh Special Recognition Award.”
The award consists of Rs 25000 cash prize, a memento and a citation. Most Rev. Dr.(Fr.) Henry D’Souza, Bishop of Bellary will confer the award. John Michel D’Cunha, Justice of High Court, Rev. Dr. (Fr.) Aloysius Paul D’ Souza, Bishop of Mangaluru Diocese and Rev. Fr. Jerold Issac Lobo, Bishop of Udupi Diocese will be the chief guests during the award ceremony.
Dr. Na Da Shetty, Member of Sandesha, Chandrakala Nandavara, Member of Sandesha, Roy Castellino, Trustee of Sandesha, Titus Noronha, Convener of Sandesha Awards, Fr. Victor Vijay Lobo, Director of Sandesha and Br. Victor Crasta, Assistant Director of Sandesha Foundation were present during the press meet.
Sandesha Awardees for the year 2017:
1. Sandesha Kannada Literature Award-Prof. Giraddi Govind Raj
Prof. Giraddy Govind Raj was born in 1939 in Rona, Gadag. He has to his credit three masters- English, Kannada and Linguistics and a doctorate in stylistics. Known for his impressive oratory, brilliant teaching and penetrating critique, from 1963 to 1999, he has served as a lecturer in Karnataka College, Gulbarga University and Karnataka University.
His contribution in literature include fifteen series of reviews like “Sanna Katheya Hosa Olavugalu”, “Vilambita”, three collections of poems like “Sharada Lahari”, “Merlin Monroe”, and three short story collections like “Aa Mukha-Ee Mukha”, and fifteen compiled works and other writings.
2. Sandesha Konkani Literature Award-Edi Netto, Jeppu
Born in Jeppu, Mangalore in 1938, Edwin Marian Netto joined the Indian Air Force as an electrician and then was promoted as a missiles officer. He was in the battlefront during the war against China in 1962, in 1965 war against Pakistan and in 1971 against Bangladesh. He retired from the military with five military medals and a presidential award.
Since retirement, he has been quite active in the field of Konkani literature. He has to his credit more than two thousand articles, 477 short stories and 27 poems. He has published 7 books including “Kudro” (published by Jeppu Nataka Sangha) and Mannkulem (published by The Sevak).
3. Sandesha Arts Award-Ashok Gudigar
Born in 1965, Ashik Gudigar lives in K.H Colony, Bidadi, Bangalore. A skillful artist, thousands of his stone, wooden and sandalwood carvings testify to his sculptural talents. He provides training on creating bronze and fibre models. His works have been exhibited in countries like Russia, USA and England. As a trainer in “Kaushalya”, the Canara Bank Artisans Project, he has provided training to thousands of artists. Some of the statues moulded by him range from 2 ft. to 78 ft.
4. Sandesha Media Award-N Gururaj
N Gururaj was born in Asagod in Jagalur Taluk of Davanagere District. He joined the “Udayavani”, Kannada Daily at Manipal as the sub-editor on the day when the newspaper was started, i.e., 1 January 1970, and continued to work there for 42 long years till he retired as the editor in 2013. During his tenure, “The Udayavani” has acquired several accolades for its news compilation, page design and front page design. The sister publications of the Manipal Press like “The Roopathara” and “The Deepavali Visheshanka” came to light under his care. He has published several short stories and poems under the pseudonym “Vishvamitra.” He was a guide and role model to several journalists trained by him.
5. Sandesha Teacher Award-K Gadhilingappa
Born in Genikehalu of Bellary district in 1962, K Gadhilingappa did MA and MEd and has served as a teacher in many high schools. He has been working as a teacher in Kolagallu Government High School from 2013. In addition to his teaching, he has been quite active in several welfare activities such as providing 3-month long free Navodaya residential coaching to poor orphans, economic aid to 25 poor orphans till they become self-reliant, free tuition to the physically challenged children in their homes. He worked strenuously to get the pension the old people deserved. He has arranged sheds on the bank of the Thungabadhra River for girls to change their dress. He has toiled tirelessly to develop educational facilities in the schools in Genikehalu village. With an aim of implementing the various government projects at the grass root level, he provides guidance to the teachers.
6. Sandesha Konkani Music Award-Wilson Olivera
Born in Padukone near Kundapura in 1966, Wilson Olivera is a leading Konkani singer and a music director today. A deep love for Konkani language, his mother tongue, and the Konkani music transformed him into a renowned Konkani singer and a musician.
He started his music career at the age of 16. Thereafter, he has produced several albums. He has performed successfully in around fifty musical shows in Mangalore, Bangalore, Mumbai, Qatar, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, the UAE and other places.
7. Sandesha Special Recognition Award-Auto Raja
Himself a vagabond, Auto Raja alias T Raja has dedicated his whole life for the rescue of the abandoned. For the past twenty years he has been reaching out to over ten thousand beggars, mentally distressed, physically and mentally challenged and the orphans in the streets of Bangalore. He is the founder secretary of the “New Ark Mission of India” started in 1997. He has used his auto rickshaw to provide a decent burial to over 4000 beggars in Bangalore city.
Auto Raja provides asylum to 750 orphans in a land provided to the New Ark Mission of India by the India Campus Crusade for Christ in the outskirts of Bangalore. Recently, the government has donated an acre of land to further his benevolent activities. An ambulance which is a must to carry the helpless is the recent gift from an NGO. He dreams to see a day when Bangalore becomes a beggarless city.
