Pics: Ramesh Pandith
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)

"How can I forget the 'gali ke gunde' who have delivered me to this stage"

Mangaluru, Jan 25: The second Lawrence Pinto Human Rights Award was conferred on social activist and convener of Citizens' Forum for Mangalore Development Vidya Dinker in a befitting ceremony held at Kalaangann in Shaktinagar here on Sunday January 25 evening.

The award was presented educationist and former vice-chancellor of Mangalore University Prof M I Savadatti.

Acknowledging the honour, Vidya Dinker said, "I feel humbled to recieve this award. It is a special award presented by Friends of Lawry, and to recieve it from a person who signed my PG certificate makes it all the more special.

"I remember, when I was in 10th, in West Bengal, I wanted my classmates to all get together and do social work in the labourers' colony right next to my school. But nobody wanted to go. I did convince those from 8th and 9th standards to be my partners in that work. But my parents were very worried, because I was giving it too much time and not concentrating on studies. My father and my best friend told me social work is for rich ladies who have plenty of time and not for students. I listened to them, I did not do any social work, and I guess I became a social activist," she said.

"I must thank my parents who supported me through all the bad decisions and the wrong turns, my husband who has allowed me to be a lousy wife and still loves me for it, and all my fellow travellers who have believed in the things I have believed in," she added.

In a rather sarcastic tone, she said, "And how can I forget those who have delivered me on this stage - the real estate lobby and the corrupt officials who connived with them and therefore Citizens' Forum came into being, the politicians of this region who had no kind of vision for this region, and IAS officials who thrust on us what they thought would be fantastic for Mangaluru's future - the petrochemical zone that we fought and warded off. And all those people who wanted to hurtle Mangaluru along a different path, and of course, all those 'gali ke gunde' (street rowydies) who tell you how to dress, how to behave, who to be friends with, who to be lovers with and decide that their morality should be our morality. All of them, in a sense, have delivered this award to me and I take it on behalf of all my comrades here. Collectively we have thought 'this is will not do' and some battles we have won, in some we have a long way to go."

She also declared that that the purse of Rs one lac she received as part of the award would be used to further causes that are important to women and children. "All of you give please me ideas on things that are important to not-so-privileged women and girls and those who have suffered violence. We hope to launch this on June 10 to mark my mother's birthday this year," she said.

"I hope our homes, in a sense, become an extension of this city, that we open them up, and the city becomes more safe and comfortable for all of us to live in," Dinker added.

Prof Savadatti congratulated Vidya Dinker and said, "I am happy that my student has got this prestigious award. She is much capable of extending her service to women, child and humanity service not only in Mangaluru but to entire country and the world. Such people are very rare. There are few people who believe in serving the cause of humanity and work for cause of the oppressed, depressed and the exploited. For such people money is secondary. Vidya Dinker also belongs to such class of people.

"If you decide something is possible, it is always possible. Nothing is impossible, as long as you do not expect anything in return for what you do. Very few people work without any expections. It is a kind of altruism which only a few people have. It is very difficult to study the kind of exploitation that is taking place in the contemporary scenario. Unfortunately we have very few people who can fight for a cause. If the happiness of people is denied, their livelihood is denied. We require people who think about others. The smile and happiness lost from the faces of poeple who have suffered cannot be compensated with money. Unless money can help the needy, it loses its value. Only 10 percent of the people in the world have atruistic nature, while the rest are money-minded or self-centred," he said.

Secretary of Friends of Lawry Eric Orazio briefed about Lawrence Pinto, in whose honour the award has been instituted.

Friends of Lawry chairman Loy Noronha, treasurer Walter Veigas and his wife Leena and others were present.