News & Pics: Hemanath Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network—Udupi (RD/CN)
Udupi, Oct 23: Sri Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti was celebrated at Ambedkar Bhavan here on Friday October 22, under the aegis of the district administration, zilla panchayat, and scheduled castes’ welfare
department.
District-in-charge minister Dr V S Acharya inaugurated the programme here. He said that “The state administration proposes to construct Valmiki Bhavans in 18 districts across Karnataka at a cost of Rs 1 crore with the aim of extending a wide range of facilities to six tribal communities in terms of education, training, housing, and civic facilities.
He said that it’s the duty of every citizen to acknowledge the great contributions to Indian culture by contemporary personalities. Dr Acharya said, “Ancient scriptures such as Mahabharata and Ramayana play a vital role in shaping the character of our countrymen. Vyasa, who was a fisherman by profession, authored the Mahabharat due to his mastery over one of the ancient Indian languages, Sanskrit. Kalidas belonged to a backward community. Valmiki, who authored Ramayana, belonged to the shepherd community”, he added.
Dr Acharya added that it was decided at the cabinet meeting held recently in Gulbarga to observe a public holiday on October 22 as Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti with effect from 2010. Meanwhile, the state has plans to set up 32 hostels each housing 100 students for 114 backward communities to pursue higher studies”, he added.
He urged the people to make an effort to bring the backward communities into the main stream of society by ignoring the age-old prejudices of other communities.
MLA Raghupati Bhat presided. The district Kanaka Sahitya Parishat president Ambatanaya Mudrady delivered the keynote address.
Deputy commissioner Hemalata P, zilla panchayat CEO N Rajashekar, zilla panchayat steering committee president Gerald Fernandes, and Tahsildar Prasanna were also present on the dais.
The scheduled tribes’ development project officer Urmila B welcomed the gathering while Adve Ravindra Poojary compered the programme.