Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (DV)
Mangalore, Apr 14: “I was inspired by Dayananda Bejai who is so soft-spoken and who has motivated me during times of frustration and helped me be a better professional. Truly, I am amazed at the work that he has done. We should love art which is a light to the future. And I wish these children a great future. Dayananda Sir is also teaching painting to my child, and in this way he is closely connected to me,” said Gopikrishnan K, DC chief, Infosys, Mangalore, after inaugurating the ‘Makkala Prakruthi’ painting exhibition by government school children organized by Daya School of Arts, and Art of Living members in support of the Public Education Department on Saturday April 13 at Mahatma Gandhi Park, Gandhinagar.
As chief guest, Sadhashiva Kamath, teacher, Art of Living, Mangalore, in his address said, “From the past 12 years Dayananda is teaching painting to children. If he wanted to earn money he could have done it a long time ago, but he teaches children to bring out the talent hidden in them. The Art Of Living is giving free education, uniforms, and books to 203 rural schools totaling more than 30,000 children. I am very proud of this— where knowledge is a form of light where the all darkness is driven out.”
Lokesh C, area education officer, Mangalore North, said these type of activities should also extend to other schools. “The love for art also minimizes frustrations and it can give good individuals to the society. Painting is also a co-curricular activity in which the mind can be relaxed and get peace. This one of the good programmes and people should support this,” he added.
N Shivaprakash, district deputy project co-ordinator of Sarva Shikshana Abhiyana, said that the government has sanctioned money for every school to promote art and craft education. “When we had a dilemma on how to utilize this fund—we suggested some schools hold drawing camp for children—Dayananda approached us and said he will teach drawing to interested children. He chose 50 students from five schools and taught them drawing. All 931 schools in this district should come up with this type of programme which will be useful to the society and this revolution will change society and eradicate all social evils. This type of programme is the first in the whole state and has never happened in any place. This has showed the way to life for students,” he added.
Speaking to Daijiworld, Dayananda said, “I was keenly interested in teaching children, but when I approached private schools with my plan they did not support me. Hence, it is an opportunity where I got to teach government school children and bring out their talent. There many children who can be good artists and every student has put his effort in painting beautifully and exhibiting his talent.”
Lalitha Kalkura compered.