Bangalore: FKCA’s Federation Day Awards Announced
by Rashmi Fernandes, Bangalore
Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)
Bangalore, Jan 24: The names of three eminent Konkani Catholic personalities have been announced as having been chosen for the prestigious sixth annual awards of the Federation of Konkani Catholic Associations (FKCA), Bangalore, by its chairman, Valerian Fernandes.
This year’s awardees are distinguished personalities, who have won wide recognition and are being respected for their contributions not only to the community, but also for their selfless work in the larger interests of society.
While Ronald Colaco will be conferred with the, ‘Entrepreneur with a Social Conscience Award’, Fr Prashanth Madtha, will be given the ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ and Dr Anthony Pais, with the ‘Professional Excellence Award’.
The awards will be presented at FKCA’s annual Federation Day celebrations proposed to be held at the St Joseph’s Indian High School Grounds, Opposite Kanteerva Stadium, Bangalore, on Sunday, January 30, 2011, at 4.00 pm, beginning with a Konkani mass, to be celebrated by the Bishop of Gulbarga, Dr Robert Miranda, who will also preside over the function.
M Mallikarjuna Kharge, union minister for labour, will be the chief guest of the function. Murugesh R Nirani, state minister for large and medium scale industries, and Dr G Parameshwara, MLA and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, will be the guests of honour.
Enterpreneur With a Social Conscience Award:
57-year-old Ronald Colaco is an NRI for the past 20 years, having investments in a few countries of the Middle East, Europe and USA. Ronald returned to India with his passion for promoting entrepreneurship, and to develop two state-of-the-art townships, Hollywood and Swiss Towns spread over 250 acres, involving 1,100 residential sites, a five star hotel, a Spa and Wellness Centre. He has provided employments to residents of the adjacent 18 villages, apart from a large number of people having been employed in his other businesses spread over sectors like construction, hospitality and plantation. He is the founder chairman of International Federation of Karnataka Christian Associations, which works to protect and bring together all denominations of Christians. Over the years, he has contributed millions of rupees for the welfare of people from all walks of life, irrespective of caste, creed, religion, language affiliations. His huge contribution towards the construction of a large number of churches of various denominations, over 22 Hindu temples, government offices and police stations, public works, schools, hospitals, sports, political aspirants, etc is known to all. This has created a permanent platform for the Christians to prove that they certainly respect other religions and believe in harmonious co-existence of people from all faiths. Ronald is a successful businessman and philanthropist, whose love and obsession for Konkani art and culture needs no special mention.
Professional Excellence Award
Dr Anthony V Pais, who turned 54 last October, holds MBBS, MS degrees in general S\surgery from Kasturba Medical College. He was awarded FICS in surgical oncology in 2000, based on his surgical oncology experience, by the International College of Surgeons, Washington DC, USA. Here is a doctor par excellence, who aptly deserves this award. He has over 27 years of experience, of which he has spent 21 years as a surgical oncologist with Tata Memorial Hospital, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Manipal Hospital, St John’s National Academy of Medical Sciences, and King Fahad Specialist Hospial, Dammam, KSA. At present, he is a senior consultant, surgical oncology and head of the department of surgery, Mazumdar Shaw Cancer Center, Bangalore. He has conducted several cancer detection camps for the underprivileged people and Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike workers, throughout Karnataka. Mazumdar Shaw Cancer Center is the only centre in Karnataka to have been recognized by the Tamil Nadu government for cancer treatment under the Kalaignar Scheme. 60% of his patients come from below poverty line. Under his guidance and direction, maximum number of breast cancer resections with immediate micro vascular reconstructions have been conducted in India (state of the art surgery done in the US), for the poorest of the poor. He is the convener and examiner for MBBS course to Bangalore University; MGR University, Madras, and he also happens to be an examiner for MS in Rajiv Gandhi University of Medical Sciences and Kasturba Medical College, Manipal deemed university. He is a professor and a member of various oncology associations. He has published over 14 papers, and has 16 presentations to his credit. He has delivered 44 lectures at various hospitals and health centres. He is the recipient of the Prof Sathyanarayana Setty Memorial Gold Medal’ for young surgeons, Prof Mahadevan’s Award for his work on ‘Innovative Techniques in Head and Neck Reconstruction in an adverse setting,’ and ‘Pioneer’s Award of Excellence’ in teaching.
Lifetime Achievement Award:
A befitting award to a versatile personality, Fr Prashant V Madtha SJ,who needs no introduction. Presently, Fr Prashant V Madtha SJ is the superior and director, Ashirvad, Bangalore. He holds a master’s degree in Kannada with first rank and three gold medals. He has held several positions as lecturer, principal, director, etc at St Joseph’s College, Bangalore and St Aloysius College, Mangalore. He is a gifted, creative, and brilliant writer, whose contribution has enriched Konkani and Kannada literature. His articles are published in Saadhana, Jeevana, Kasturi, Santhosa, Usha Kiran, Udayavani, Raknno and Jhelo, both in Kannada and Konkani. He has been conferred with a number of awards, and honoured for his contribution to Kannada and Konkani literature. While he was principal of St Aloysius College, he introduced Konkani as the second language for degree courses and was appointed chairman of the Expert Committee by Mangalore University to form the Konkani syllabus. He was director of the Institute of Konkani from 1994 to 2003. Among his voluminous works, is the first ever dictionary of 10,000 Konkani idioms, titled ‘Konkani Pikolim’. His two other Konkani books are, ‘Kitalam’ and ‘Ratyavol’. His love for his mother tongue is noticed through his remarkable contribution to Konkani literature, which have provided an impetus to its growth. Among the books written by him in Kannada are, ‘Veer Viraktha’, ‘Kristhana Anukarane’, ‘Savira Hoogalu Aralali”, ‘Ninnanthe Nanagalu’, and ‘Saanidhya’. His colossal work, ‘Kannada Padanidhi’, a thesaurus of synonyms and antonyms, has brought him acclamation, as this work the pride of the state language. In 2005, he wrote ‘On Eagle’s Wings’ on 125 years of history of St Aloysius College, Mangalore. He had the privilege of translating the speech on Pope John Paul II into Kannada, when he visited Mangalore in 1986.
The FKCA, established in 1998 for espousing the cause of Konkani Catholics of Bangalore and also to work in the larger interests of the community in the entire state of Karnataka and other parts of India and even abroad, comprises as many as 26 Konkani Catholic associations in different parts of Bangalore and Mysore, besides nine associations in different countries, including four in Dubai, Abu Dhabi in UAE, one each in Kuwait, Qatar, USA, UK and Canada.
The FKCA today has made a strong presence by putting forth and taking up grievance of Konkani Catholic community with several governments as a united forum and fighting for their rights.
FKCA has taken up various programmes like annual sports, free placement service cell, matrimonial cell, entrepreneurs’ forum and free medical camps. It has also launched a worldwide directory of Konkani Catholics on its website, www.fkca.net. A major achievement of the Federation is the initiative in helping several members of different affiliated associations in getting well-developed housing sites on the Bangalore-Tumkur highway near Nelamangala.
FKCA extends a warm invitation to all to participate in the felicitation and awards ceremony to encourage the awardees for their yeomen contributions to the community.