Mangalore: Awards Enhance Responsibilities – Dr Dayanand Pai

By William Pais
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SB)

Mangalore, Nov 5: "Any type of award casts further responsibility on the recipient’ said Dr Dayananda Pai, recipient of Rajyotsava Award 2010.

He was speaking at the function convened to felicitate him on receiving the award at Vishwa Konkani Kendra, Shakti Nagar here. Mangalore. "Awards come with a message to bear more responsibility towards the society. I am happy at receiving it, as it is the certification of my good work. Awards or no awards one should continue his work. On receiving the award one should be humble and should not become egoistic," he said

One can get the chance to serve the society and do good work if there is a society. If there is no society there is no award and no chance to do good work. Therefore rightly the award belongs to the society and whatever we are it is because of society and everything we have must go back to the society, said Pai. He stressed on the point of social responsibility.

Fr Eric Crasta, the president of Konkani Bhasha Mandal, felicitated the award winners Dr P Dayanand Pai, Basti Vaman Shenoy and Venkatesh Baliga.

Crasta said, "It is devine providence that all three members of Konkani Kendra were awarded Rajyotsava Award simultaneously and it is a matter of pride to all Konkani speaking people because it is a recognition of the good work community does. I am humbled by the fact that I have to felicitate these great people and it is my privilege to do it on behalf of the Konkani community.". He commended the good work of the recipients and prayed that the society may further stand benefited by their great work.

Basti Vaman Shenoy, president of Vishwa Konkani Kendra, one of the Rajyostava awardees said it was a pleasant surprise to get the award and in a way the long hardwork of the Konkani people has been recognized by the government. I dedicate this award to the community.

Dr Prabhakar Joshi, well known Yakshagana scholar and one of the speakers said ‘Konkani community is micro minority community but its achievements are great. For person like Basti Vaman Shenoy, the award is a recognition of his lifetime service, for person like Dayananda Pai it is compulsion to do some more work and for Venkatesh Baliga it is encouragement to do more work. It is privilege that Konkani community has these great persons who place community good above everything else. He hopes that many more persoinalities such as Basti Shenoy, Dayanand Pai and Venkatesh Baliga are born so that life around becomes beautiful.’

Vice-president of the Vishwa Konkani Kendra Ragunath Shet presided. Kudpi Jagadish Shenoy welcomed the gathering and Geetha Kini proposed the vote of thanks. Prominent members of the community felicitated the awardees by offering garland of flowers.

Dayanand Pai in a generous gesture donated Rs 1 lac he received as award to ‘Saanidhya’ a special school for differently abled children in the vicinity.