By Team Mangalorean

BELTHANGADY, November 16, 2009: India needs unity more than ever, there are forces that are dividing India by various methods that included religious conversion, showing contempt to other religions and dis-regarding the national song Vande Matharam and other national icons said state energy minister K.S. Eshwarappa. 

He was participating in the inauguration of the 77th Sahitya Sammelana organized by the Dharmasthala temple on the occasion of the Laksha Deepotsava on Monday.
 
Mr. Eshwarappa said the Fatwa on Vande Matharam was a sign of extremism against national sentiments. We should stand as one nation and not be consumed by divisive forces, Vande Matharam was a sign of Indian unity and let us all sing that great song without any inhibitions unitedly and drive away the enemies of India he added.
 
Mr. Eshwarappa said ours was a multi cultural and multi religious country let us not try to divide it on the lines of culture, religion and language. India cannot survive that way he added.
 
President of the Sammelana Prof. Nallur Prasad (who is also the president of State Kannada Sahitya Parishat) said literature always soothes the minds of human beings, let us not use literature to create terror. Those who wield pen should not become terrorists he added.

He called on the youth to use their creativity to further the cause of literature and enrich the society through their writings and poems. What we need now was love for others which can be created only by creative literature.
 
He also appreciated the idea of World Tulu Conference and said it was one of the methods of safeguarding our culture.
 
On this occasion C.R. Chandrashekar and Dr. Vishnu Nayak gave special lectures on culture and society. Prof. Abhayakumar of Mangalore University gave a lecture on Kannada and culture.
 
Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade also spoke on the occasion and said the modern writers and poets should also try to direct their literary talents to improve the quality of thinking in the society.  Educationists, editors, writers and teachers should take lead in moulding the society he added.
 
Well known literary figure Umavathi Shastry was honoured on this occasion. She was felicitated by Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade and the citation was read out by Prof. Yashovarma. 

Gundia project will go on

CHARMADY: The Gundia hydro power project will go on as projected  according to the state energy minister Mr. K.S. Eshwarappa. Speaking to presspersons here on Monday after inaugurating the Trinethra Energy system project Mr. Eshwarappa said he had met the union energy minister Mr. Jairam Ramesh on November 14 and has convinced him about the project.

I had told him that Gundia project will submerge only 1450 acres of land while the Cauvery hydro electric project planned at Mekedatu would submerge over 10,000 acres of fertile land. The minister has also been told that there was no opposition from anybody for Gundia project.
 
He said the state government was giving more prominence for producing non conventional energy till today over the government had given permission to produce 9,000 MW of un-conventional energy only 900 MW was being produced in the state he added. He said new initiative were being planned for improving the level of  non conventional energy.
 
He said the Trinethra Energy system will produce 4.5 MW hydro power which will be synchronized to the MESCOM grid.