Jessica Fernandes crowned Hyssna Miss Daijiworld-2015
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Feb 6: It was a glorious evening, an evening resplendent with beauty, glamour and elegance, an evening befitting the journey daijiworld.com has walked for the past 15 years. Daijiworld celebrated its 15th anniversary on Friday February 5 at Milagres Hall amidst hundreds of well-wishers who came all the way from different parts of the world and India to be part of the joyous occasion.
The celebration began with directors of Daijiworld Media Pvt Ltd - founder and managing director Walter Nandalike, Melvyn Rodrigues, Rohan Monteiro, Lawrence D'Souza, Alexis Castelino and Victor D'Souza - cutting the cake, followed by a warm welcome by Walter Nandalike and a short documentary narrating Daijiworld's journey over the years.
Addressing the gathering, NRE entrepreneur and philanthropist Ronald Colaco congratulated Walter Nandalike and daijiworld and said, "Daijiworld as you all know has become a houshold name, a source of information for all the people from west coast of India. People have become addicted to daijiworld. Even during office hours, people are interested to read and check what news has come on it. Daijiworld has taken the centrestage among all web media of the world. Apart from gaining popularity among the readers, it is also catering to the most credible news agencies because it is so speed and authentic. In incidents like pub attack or the plane crash, daijiworld was the source of news and pictures for international media. This shows how powerful daijiworld is.
Lauding daijiworld for raising Rs 10 crore in charity over the years, he said, "Daijiworld has never collected any money from any benefactor. You have seen in other media, during national calamities, they make an appeal, collect the money and then pass on to the beneficiary. But daijiworld has a principle - not to collect money but to make an appeal and connect the needy and the donor. And then they follow it up between the beneficiary and the benefactor with utmost responsibility. Rs 10 crore is not a small amount."
"You have made a humble beginning, you have grown and increased in popularity and readership of web, weekly and now even the Daijiworld TV is becoming more and more popular. You also have a state-of-the-art audio visual studio which is technically advanced. Having all this success, the only thing I can wish you is, the day is not far when you have a full-flegded satellite channel that will become the voice of the voiceless. You know how powerful media is - it can make or break a government. And daijiworld being so fearless, fast and authentic, you can fill the vaccuum and become the voice of the voiceless," he said.
Principal secretary to the Karnataka government, former advisor in World Bank and former joint secretary, Prime Minister's Office (PMO) L K Atheeq who was the guest of honour in his address highlighted the way media had evolved with technology and lauded daijiworld for attaining enormous growth in a short span of time. "Let me begin with congratulating Daijiworld on completing 15 years of journey since its inception on January 14, 2001. January 14 is the auspicous occasion of Makara Sankranti, and incidentally, it also happens to be my birthday. I have given interview to daijiworld and often read it, and I am amazed by the speed with which this tiny step has grown into a big tree," he said.
"It also amazes me how the power of internet has brought about democratization of media. This powerful change that has happened to the world of media is thanks to the speed with which technology is evolving and changing. The internet is changing our lives. In a country like India which still has enormous gaps in infrastructure and great challenges, it is a matter of great pride - it is the result of spirit of entrepreneurship, the courage of a group of entrepreneurs, of people who dare to believe, dare to dream and take risky steps to move into this field and capture their own slice of the media pie. We are witnessing democratization in media, which is very very important - the powerless should have power to speak, the poor and the marginalized should have the power to articulate their point of view. There should not be a domain of only a few who will tell you what to do or what to think. It is in this respect that I congratulate daijiworld and its promoters. This group has really grown and I wish daijiworld further progress, and I hope that it continues to make valuable contribution to the lives of people of this coast and everyone connected to the coast, wherever they are."
Speaking on the growth of internet and media, he said, "Today the largest taxi company does not own a sinlgle taxi, a large retailer like Amazon need not have a brick-and-mortar building. Internet has changed the way we interact. Today, you do not need expensive equipment to be in media - you can capture a video in phone and upload it, and if it is interesting, it goes viral. The concept of citizen journalist is evolving," he added.
"But there are dangers or pitfalls to this explosive growth in media - ultimately, whatever is the spread of information, we must remember that information is not knowledge and and knowlege is not wisdom. In the mad rush to sensitionalize and gain TRPs, there is a hurry - the media are in a hurry to pronounce judgement. People forget that every story has at least two sides. With camera and mike in hand, they just want to go live. But if you really pause and ponder, you will see there is another story to it. So the mad rush for speed can cause damage to society. Our society is multicultural, where people who belong to different religions and castes live together happily. But this society also needs a little bit of calmness and patience.
"There was speculation that internet media would eliminate the print media, but fortunately, that has not happened. I am glad to see that Daijiworld has all forms of media, web, print and TV. In print media, the reporter who returns from the field has the time to reflect on what he has seen. In the coverage of the incident that happened in Bengaluru (assault on Tanzanian woman), there is no conversation about the 30-year-old woman who died in the accident. This tendency needs to be avoided, and that can be done if we remember that whatever may be the spread of technology, it cannot control the human being, it is the human being who should control the technology. The basic wisdom we have to incorporate is that there are other aspects to the story. This requires a little bit of patience and it requires that we do not forget the fundamentals and principles of journalism. The technology may be new, but the knowledge and principles of journalism do not become outdated.
"In journalism you need to go to the spot but unfortunately there is no time. The challenge is to incorporate the wisdom you learn in print media into electronic media. We need to remember that the people who have camera and mike also have a potential to create mischief and damage," Atheeq said.
"Today many who come out of colleges are educated but unemployable because they lack the skills to communicate or congnitive skills to apply their minds. Internet and technology have a lot of potential in spreading education and knowledge that are essential in solving issues facing the country. Technology can carry the message to the people if we use it use it in an effective and efficient way," he added.
"The word 'daiji' means 'blood relative', and daijiworld is rooted in the realities of this region, it is related to the people of this region, it has not alienated from the locals and it has been successful in keeping people away from their homes in touch with this region. I wish Walter Nandalike, and the directors all the very best," he said.
MD and CEO of Karnataka Bank Jayaram Bhat said, "Today is a day for celebration. I congratulate Walter and the directors for their excellent service mainly to society. Daijiworld has been doing yeoman service to society in all fields of media - be it web, print or TV. I am deeply honoured to be here and to be part of the celebration.
"The one thing that moves me is the charity work that daijiworld does. Daijiworld started as an April's fool prank by Walter and has today become a big web portal of the coastal region. This portal has become a commonplace to understand each other, it is where lot of people get united and get connected. It has generated Rs 10 crore as charity for society, which is commendable. Let this activity continue in in future. All of us talking of digital india and digitalization, let Daijiworld also bring lots of new ideas. I wish all the best to daijiworld. Let this organization celebrate 25 years, 50 years, 100 years and more," he said.
Ronald Pinto, managing director of Hyssna International LLC, Abu Dhabi, said, "It gives me immense pleasure to be part of Daijiworld's huge moment. 15 years have passed by so soon, with a new revolution being created not on only web media but also in print and electronic media. I have always been an admirer of daijiworld, and make it a point to visit my favourite website daijiworld.com, not once, but many times a day. In 2010 our organisation 'Hyssna' had been part of Miss Daijiworld photogenic contest for the first time, and this time too we feel proud to be associated with this contest. I am happy to learn that the contest has become a hit all around the globe, and tremendous response has been received from young photogenic faces. I congratulate all the participants, and specially the finalists of this contest. May this opportunity help you groom your career in a much greater way. May your confidence to achieve your goal grow further. Our sole objective in supporting this event is to encourge youngsters and provide a platform to further their careers.
"Daijiworld has excelled not only in bringing journalism to the next level, but also shown how a media can create impact in the lives of the poor and needy by acting as a messenger between the donors and the needy. Generating over Rs 10 crore charity through your portal is no doubt a milestone in the history of Mangalorean media.Please keep up this work. In this highly competitive world, you have no time to relax, you need to be alert. Since you are in the mainstream media, there are huge expectations from people. I am sure with the same enthusiasm and spirit you will reach many more milestones in the coming days," he said.
'Junior Masti, a new reality show by Daijiworld 24x7 channel, was launched on the occasion by Nigel and Nikita Colaco.
A Russian and a Latino dance as part of the entertainment enthralled the gathering.
Ace compere Leslie Rego conducted the formal function in his usual inimitable style.
Daijiworld staff who have served the company from many years were felicitated on the occasion.
Hyssna Miss Daijiworld-2015 Grand Finale
After days of intense excitement and anxious wait, the ravishing Jessica Fernandes was crowned Hyssna Miss Daijiworld-2015 in a sparkling event at Milagres Hall here on Friday February 5.
The grand finale of the contest, held as part of the 15th anniversary celebrations of daijiworld.com, saw some nail-biting moments as the six finalists put their best foot forward and impressed the judges with their poise and grace.
While Bhavishya Shetty was crowned second runner-up and took home a cheque of Rs 50,000, 17-year-old Merula Pinto won the first runner-up spot and received a prize money of Rs 75,000. She was crowned by former Miss Daijiworld Anjali Shetty.
Ronald Colaco and his wife Jean Colaco, and Ronald Pinto and his wife Dorothy Pinto honoured the first and second runners-up.
The gorgeous finalists, oozing with oomph and confidence, impressed the judges with their presence of mind and proved that they were beauties with brains, answering some tough questions from the judges with confidence. The judges for the event were multi-talented actress Ester Noronha, actor Avinash Shetty and Miss Daijiworld-2010 Anjali Shetty, who not only did justice to their role but also encouraged the contestants with words of appreciation.
Jessica Benita Fernandes is the daughter of Jerald and Felcy Fernandes of Ashoknagar, Mangaluru. Hailing from Bantwal, the charming 23-year-old holds a bachelor's degree in commerce and is currently pursuing MCom. She stays in Dubai, where she is working with Gems Education.
Merula Pinto is the daughter of Joel and Matilda Pinto from Bejai. She is currently pursuing PU studies at St Agnes College in the city. Bhavishya Shetty is the daughter of Chandrahasa and Swarna Shetty, currently residing in Bengaluru. Born and brought up in Kuwait, Bhavishya hails from Adyar in Mangaluru and is into fashion marketing.
The other three finalists - Jolita Rebello, Shilpa Shetty and Srishti Salian - each took home a cheque of Rs 25,000.
Reena Castelino compered the event with grace and elan.
The six finalists received the following number of online votes (in second round):
Bhavishya Shetty - 6,020
Jessica Fernandes - 12,090
Jolita Rebello - 29,810
Merula Pinto - 19,610
Shilpa Shetty - 3,650
Srishti Salian - 14,040
Total votes cast: 1,21,301