M'lore: Daijiworld Weekly Swabhiman Awards Conferred on Seven Differently-abled Talents
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
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Mangalore, Jun 12: "This is the best award presentation ceremony I have ever attended anywhere in the world in my entire career," said Padma Bhushan Dr B M Hegde.
He was speaking as the chief guest at the second anniversary celebrations of Daijiworld Weekly, during which differently-abled achievers were conferred the Swabhiman Awards. The ceremony was held at Shanti Kiran, Bajjodi here on Sunday Jun 12.
Seven differently-abled achievers were honoured with the awards, of which four were presented with the main Swabhiman Awards, and three with Appreciation Awards. Each of the Swabhiman awardees, Fr Ivan Madtha, Mohammed Iqbal, Sudharatna and Wilfred Gomes, were honoured with a citation, a cash award of Rs 25,000 and an award. The Appreciation Award winners, Harry Boniface Prabhu, Manipal Aruna Kumari and Zena Colaco were felicitated with a citation, an award and a cash award of Rs 10,000 each.
Speaking further, Dr Hegde appreciated the efforts of Daijiworld Weekly in instituting the Swabhiman Awards and said that the award winners were out of the ordinary. Calling the service rendered by Daijiworld to the society as 'God's work', he added, "Daijiworld knows the art of living". While profit-oriented business was killing the world, real business consisted of recognising individuals who are otherwise neglected, he noted.
He said that human body is made of 99 percent of water molecules and thus a person must be like flowing water - when it faces obstacles it changes its course and flows on. When the obstacles increase, the water becomes a whirlpool and thus more powerful.
"Competing with others is mediocrity, competing with oneself is excellence," he said and appreciated each of the award winners for making the best of their talents and overcoming disabilities with courage and will power. "They are not differently-abled but differentially-abled," he stressed.
Congratulating the nominees, the winners, their kin and the society in general for encouraging such talents, he said that the differently-abled people were the healthiest, as good health does not mean the absence of disease or a body part, it means enthusiasm to work and to be compassionate. "There is no such thing as disease. Body is a bundle of energy, this energy is a little different in the 'differentially-abled'.
He urged the gathering to encourage everyone with a pat on the back irrespective of any barrier. He also appealed to the media to take steps to prevent diseases like cancer by creating awareness about carcinogenic substances like tobacco and cosmetics. "It is not the sun that causes cancer, but the sunscreen," he said.
He noted that nature has taught us to survive, and that the disabled are bestowed with special abilities to make up for what is lacking. It is all in the mind, just as a patient gets cured not because of medicines but because of his faith in the doctor, he said.
Chief coordinator of the jury William Pais described his experience as a jury member and said that the last two months were so enriching that they redefined terms like 'love for life' and 'rising from the pheonix' for him. Despite apathy of the government and the society in general, the differently-abled people had achieved more than normal individuals do, he said.
Editor in chief of Daijiworld Walter Nandalike spoke of the journey of Daijiworld Weekly right from the days of its inception to the present and thanked all those who supported the venture all along, while also congratulating the awardees.
Fr Ivan Madtha, one of the recipients of the Swabhiman Awards, thanked the organisers and the jury for bestowing the honour and said that such a concept was unique. The terms have changed over the years from 'handicapped' to 'differently-abled' but the reality has not changed. "What we need is not a change in terms, but a change in reality," he said.
There was a short video presentation on each of the award winners during the presentation ceremony.
Ashel Sequeira presented the welcome dance.
Daijiworld Weekly editor Hemacharya welcomed the gathering. Journalist Ronald Anil Fernandes, who was a jury member also spoke on the occasion.
The sponsors were honoured with mementos and so also the jury members. Titus Noronha proposed the vote of thanks.
The sponsors of the main Swabhiman awards were Roshini and Smitha Lobo, Bangalore (in memory of their late mother Rosemary Lobo), Lesley Rego and family (in memory of their late daughter Tanisha Rego), Alfred D'Souza and family, now in Dubai and well-wisher from Dubai.
Basti Vaman Shenoy, Mangalore, Ronald Sabi D'Souza, Moodubelle, now in Dubai, and Francis Fernandes Cascia, now in Dubai, sponsored the Appreciation Awards. Joseph Mathias and family, now in Dubai, Elias D’Souza and family, Moodubelle, now in Dubai and Ashok and Sunita Menezes, Pilar, now in Dubai were the other sponsors.
The programme came to an end with a performance by Manipal Aruna Kumari on the veena and a magic show by Fr Ivan Madtha, both greatly enjoyed by the packed audience.