Report: Shodhan Prasad

Sharjah, Nov 1: President of Abu Dhabi Karnataka Sangha and Rajyotsava awardee Sarvotham Shetty will be honoured with the ‘Mayura Global Kannadiga’ award at the Sharjah Karnataka Sangha 15th anniversary celebrations to be held on November 17 at Sharjah Indian Association Auditorium.

Shetty, who has served as a leader of Karnataka in the UAE for more than four decades, was unanimously elected for the award.

Sarvotham Shetty being the founder president of Abu Dhabi Karnataka Sangha has always promoted Kannada language, art, folk, culture and Tradition throughout his career taking up leadership and binding all the Kannadigas under one umbrella parent organization in Abu Dhabi. He always used to take up initiative in Kannada activities all over the gulf thus promoting Kannada language and culture.

About Sarvotham Shetty

As a true Indian, Kannadiga and Tuluva, Sarvotham Shetty has always supported the culture, art, folk and language through various programmes in this part of the world. Being an artiste himself with his leadership qualities he has guided many fellow Tuluvas/Kannadigas in very many events thus contributing to the community.

Born to Soorappa Hegde and Saraswati Shetty of Pareeka, Udupi district, Sarvotham Shetty completed his elementary and pre-University studies in Perdoor and Hiriadka. He later travelled to Mumbai where he got graduated in Commerce in R V Podar College. In 1978 he was elected as the leader of the Senate in Mumbai University.

The acting skill within him was show cased when for the first time he participated in the very famous ‘Haggada Kone’ penned by the well-known writer Parvathavani during the inter college drama competition. During his course of studies for the first time ‘Kannada Sahitya Sangha’ was opened up in R.V Podar College, Mumbai. He stroked first in very many drama competitions and was a good sportsman too; having received honours from Indian Cricketer Sunil Gavaskar and Pakistani Cricketer Sarfaraz Khan during his time.

He completed his studies in the year 1979 and wanted to start an Art Centre for Drama along with his friends and close associates in Mumbai. Soon ‘Kala Jagathu’ was formed and he became the founder member thus paving way for those Kannadigas in Mumbai to enhance their cultural activities. Now this organization with 37 years of existence is one among the several other art centres in Mumbai which is dedicatedly involved in Tulu and Kannada dramas.

After serving in Syndicate Bank, Mumbai for around 10 years he landed in the Arabian Gulf searching for better opportunities. He served continuously with International Distributors for around 26 years as General Manager and later started his own Automobile Workshop which is running successfully for the past 12 years in Abu Dhabi.

His journey in the Gulf

For the last four decades he has been an ardent supporter of very many Tulu-Kannada Associations and has encouraged many talents to get a stage opportunity.

In 1995-96 he was elected as vice-president of Indian Social and Cultural Centre, Abu Dhabi and later elected for two terms in 1999-2000 and 2002-2003 as President which was for the first time any Kannadiga would have achieved in the past 37 years of the Centre’s existence. It was during his tenure the Centre was able to get a own land and permission to build huge independent premises for Indian Social and Cultural Centre in Abu Dhabi which created a record for himself too.

He was also elected as honorary director of Abu Dhabi Indian School in the year 1997 wherein more than 7500 students of Indian origin are studying. He took leadership in inducing discipline and sportsman ship among the students of the School thus lending his time for overall development. He was also the Chairman of School Sports Committee and main man behind opening up of the new branch of the school in Al Wathba where around 3,000 students are studying currently.

In 1998 he was awarded ‘Karnataka Rajyotsava’ as he has been serving President of Abu Dhabi Karnataka Sangha spreading the fragrance of Kannada language, art and culture in a vibrant way in the Middle East. He also participated in the ‘Vishwa Kannada Sanskriti Sammelana 2004’ wherein the then Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah along with 14 delegates of Karnataka as well as representatives of Karnataka from around the world had gathered. This was one of the biggest event of Kannada ever organized until then.

In the year 2006 when Abu Dhabi Karnataka Sangha completed 25 successful years he was instrumental in bringing the then chief minister of Karnataka H D Kumaraswamy to inaugurate the Silver Jubilee function which was a record attempt made in the history of Karnataka that in 50 years a Chief Minister attending such event in the Gulf. It was in that year Abu Dhabi Karnataka Sangha was bestowed with ‘Suvarna Karnataka Rajyotsava’ Award which is another feather in the cap of Sarvotham Shetty as president of the Sangha.

Sarvotham Shetty actively participated in many Karnataka Associations including UAE Tulu Koota, Nama Tuluveru UAE and Abu Dhabi Tulu Koota. He as the President of UAE Bunts and has kept encouraging community members into forming new committees every year thus delegating responsibilities and paving way for the success of various cultural activities of the Community every year. In UAE Tulu Koota he has been supporting the committee members for the past two decades in their annual events including Tulu Parba, tableaux, sports activities, and art and folklore.

In Abu Dhabi he was instrumental in starting the ‘Koosamma Shambu Shetty Memorial Women’s and Men’s Throw-ball tournament under the umbrella of Abu Dhabi Karnataka Sangha which gave opportunities for many Kannadigas who participate in this Tournament and win accolades. Teams not only from UAE but also from other Gulf Countries including India are participating annually in this event.

Honours bestowed on Sarvotham Shetty

In 2009 he was bestowed with ‘Aryabhata Award’ for his service towards society. In Kuwait during the ‘Vishwa Kannada Sanskriti Sammelana’ he was bestowed with ‘VishwaMaanya’ Award honoured by the great Poet Dr Shivarudrappa. He has been felicitated by Al Ain Buraimi Kannada Sangha, Bahrain Kannada Sangha, Abu Dhabi Karnataka Sangha, Dubai Karnataka Sangha, UAE Bunts and Bunts Throw-ball Dubai, Delhi Bunts Sangha and by Dr Devi Prasad Shetty at Narayana Hryudalaya, Bengaluru.

In 1998 he was awarded ‘Karnataka Rajyostava’ Award. He has received Suvarna Karnataka Rajyostava Award, ‘Hryudayavantharu’ Award by Vishwa Kannada Sammelana in Mumbai.

Currently in 2017, Sarvotham serves as committee member in Indian Professional & Entrepreneur Forum and Indian Business Professionals Group. For more than three decades he serves in the Bunts UAE Association and has been pivotal in arranging annual programmes, creating new committees, forming leaders and allocating responsibilities to the new leaders in arranging various cultural, social responsibilities as well as sport activities in the UAE.

Through his collections of emails and contact numbers of Kannadigas, he shares information of various Kannada/Tulu activities around the world through email media. He participates in various Blood Donation and Health Awareness programmes lending his moral support to these events and organisers. Almost all organisations in UAE invites him to their programmes whenever scheduled and he attends those without fail.

He was also the honorary President of ‘Vishwa Tuluvere Ayona’ a programme conducted in Badiadka, Kasargod during 9th to 13th December, 2016 an International Tulu Event and got recognition.

Sarvotham is also elected to be the Honorary President of ‘Tulunadochayya 2017’ event to be hosted during December 23rd and 24th this year. He is also elected as President of PatlaYaksha Foundation of UAE. He is also the Vice President of Karnataka NRI Forum for the year 2017.

Shetty has acted in many historical and family dramas as well. Whether it is a meeting, event, sports day or picnic you will find him there with a mike in his hand and with his golden voice commanding the event. Always keep mingling with all his fellow associates, members of various communities freely and encouraging them every time.

Married to Usha Shetty in the year 1984, he is blessed with son Samarth Shetty and daughter Samyuktha Shetty who are all well settled and had celebrated his silver wedding anniversary in the year 2009.

Sarvotham Shetty says he is inspired by two great personalities - world leader Nelson Mandela who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to dismantle the apartheid system, and secondly, the soft spoken proud son of Tulu Nadu, Padma Shree Dr B R Shetty, the patron of Kannadigas in UAE.