Mangaluru: Addressing the media persons during the press meet held at Mangalore Press Club, Fr Victor Vijay Lobo – Director, Sandesha Foundation said, “Sandesha Foundation for Culture and Education, Mangaluru, managed by Karnataka Regional Catholic Bishops Conference, has been for the Past 24 years honouring the personalities who have made significant contribution to Kannada, Konkani and Tulu Literature, Art and Culture. By choosing to award the deserving persons based on the basis of merit, the Sandesha Awards have gained recognition of their own standard. The 25th Sandesha Awards 2016 ceremony will be held on 16th January 2016 at Sandesha premises at 5:30pm”.
Na D’Souza, Dr Na Damodar Shetty, Sara Abubakker, Chandrakala Nandavar, Eric Ozario and Richard Louis are the Juries of Sandesha Awards. These Awards have been selected with guidance of Fr Victor Vijay Lobo the Director of Sandesha.
Other people present at the Press Conference were Na D’Souza – President – Sandesha awards Jury, Dr Na Da Shetty – Member, Sandesha awards Jury, Titus Noronha – Convener, Sandesha awards Media committee and Roy Castelino – Trustee – Sandesha Foundation and President Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy
Alexander Joel Pereira and Devadas Kapikad
Dr H S Venkatesh Moorthy and G S Jayadeva
Gladys Rego and Sugantha Sathiaraj
Thomas D’Souza and Ustsad Rafique Khan
Dr H. S. Venkatesha Murthy – Sandesha Literature Award
Born in 1944, Dr H. S. Venkatesha Murthy spent his early thirty years in his village in Hodigere in Chennagiri taluk, Davanagere district. He began his career as a Lecturer in Kannada in St Joesph College of Commerce, Bangalore in 1973. Besides an exemplary teacher, Dr Venkatesh is a great orator. His contribution to literature includes more than 75 writings of varied kinds. He has to his credit collections of poems like Kriyaparva, OnamaradaGiligalu, AmerikadalliBillahabba, Uttarayana, Saugandhika, plays like HejjegalymUriyaUyyale, Agniparva, Manthare, and children’s literature like Alilu Ramayana, Chinnarimutta, HakkiSalu, Hoovina Shale.
Gladys Rego- Sandesha Konkani Literature Award.
Symproza Philomena Gladys Sequeira was born in Bendur, Mangalore in 1945. Known popularly in Konkani literary circles as Gladys Rego, she has brought out four volumes of short stories in Konkani, six works on folklore, two collections of stories. She has to her credit altogether 27 books which include short stories, folk literature, biography, research, etc. She has her own publishing agency named ‘Akash Prakashan’. Her favourite hobbies include stamps, coins and currencies, post cards, etc. She has received wide laurels for her hobbies from the general public.
Devdas Kapikad- Sandesha Tulu Literature Award
Born at Sajipa in Bantwal, Devdas Kapikad with his better half Sharmila and son Arjun, he has dedicated his life wholly to Tulu stage play and movies. Having set up a drama troupe called ‘Cha Parka’, he has written and staged around 50 plays, each of which have seen around 100-200 performances in India and abroad. His play PudarDitiji has broken all records in the Tulu drama. His popular plays include DeverDilekkapundu, Mamu, Panda Nambayer, Bolli, Gantetand, etc.
Sugantha Sathiaraj – Best Teacher Award
Sugantha Sathiaraj was born in Chennai. Having completed her education in Tamilnadu, she moved to Bellary and dedicated her entire life for the uplift of the people in the district. She spent seventeen years of her life as a teacher in English and Social Studies in St Philomena’s High School, Bellary. She was instrumental in providing education to more than thousand drop outs in Bellary. She has been working tirelessly for the empowerment of women by providing them nonconventional education and though various income generating and employment schemes and, thus, has brought cheers in hundreds of battered women of the district.
Ustad Rafique Khan- Sandesha Art Award
A renowned sitar maestro, Ustad Rafique Khan began practising sitar at the young age of 9 and later graduated in music in Gandharva University, Mumbai. At the young age of 23 itself he won Mumbai’s prestigious Surmani Award. He has been recognized as the Top-Grade musician by the Akashavani. He is the sitar artist of Akashavani, Mangalore. Ustad Rafiq Khan has rendered his performances in Savay Gandharv Music Concert, Pune, SahuMaharaj Musical Concert, Kolhapur, Alvas Virasat, Moodabidri, Manmohan Bhat Musical Concert, Jaipur, etc. He has also performed overseas in countries like Europe, America, the Gulf countries, Singapore, Russia, Malaysia, etc.
Alexander Joel Pereira – Sandesha Konkani Music Award.
A native of Mangalore, music doyen Joel Pereira has marked an unforgettable imprint on the Konkani music in Mangalore. He is versatile in playing on a wide variety of musical instruments like the keyboard, the guitar, the mandolin, the accordion and the sitar. An accomplished music composer and arranger, he has arranged music to over 350 albums. He has Arranged voices for more than 1500 hymns, 120 plussongs.
Thomas D’Souza, Sandesha Media Award
Born in Arasalu village, Shivamogga in 1955, Thomas D’Souza nurtured his interests in sports, dramas and music from his childhood itself. He has served the movie world as an owner of a cinema theatre, as a member, the honorary secretary and the vice president of the steering committee of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce. He has been the member of executive committee of Film Chamber of Commerce. He was appointed the president of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce for 2014-15 and has toiled for the all round development of the Kannada film world. He has dedicated himself for the conservation of above 600 film theatres in Karnataka and for the growth of the Kannada films.
G. S. Jayadeva- Sandesha Special Award
64 year old G. S. Jayadeva took a voluntary retirement as lecturer in 2001. Settled in Chamarajanagar in 1992, he started the Deenabandhu Trust. The trust adopts children from the government schools and provides for their food, cloth and shelter. He has rendered his services in Shaktidhama, a women rehabilitation centre in Mysore, Vivekananda Tribal Welfare Centre, B. R. Hills. He has served selflessly in the of Karnataka Government developmental committe