Cultural Extravaganza Marks Decennial Celebrations of M Pallonji Qatar
Pics: Alexis Castelino
Report: Gladson D’Almeida
Doha, May 28: Everyone in this world is born with potentials to succeed. But only a few live up to their potentials. These special people not only succeed but also help others grow along the way. They are different from others because they make difference in the lives of all those who come in their lives. These people are a rare breed, who are not just talented but work hard, have guts and gumption to face the challenges and scale great heights.
Chidanand Nayak, fondly known as ‘Chidanna’ amongst thousands who know him is one such personality who has done wonders in the last one decade in Qatar through his single-minded dedication, hard work and commitment to his profession. If M Pallonji today is known as one of the leading Indian companies in Qatar, it is because of Chidanna and his equally committed colleagues, some of whom have been with him right from the day of inception.
So it was perfect that such a company celebrated its decennial celebration on a grand scale. It was celebration time at Al Ghazal halls here on Friday May 27, 2011 evening as M Pallonji set up on June 5, 2001 completed ten successful years of its existence. The company that had humble beginning with a few staff under Chidanand Nayak has today grown into a large tree that directly shelters over 175 employees and takes care of thousands others through its various social and charitable works.
The evening began with a short welcome of the guests by well-known compere Head of Affilation & consular services Qatar Milan Arun. The stage was then taken over by ‘Thunder Kids’, a troupe trained and led by Yellur Srinivas Rao, a noted composer and musician of great repute. Rao has scored background music for quite a few Sandalwood movies and despite his unmatched talents, remains as unassuming as ever. The troupe ‘Thunder Kids’ entertained the audience with some foot-tapping as well as retro film songs. It was ‘from-the-children-for-the-elders’ programme. It was one of the rarest occasions when only children were seen singing, playing musical instruments and even compering in such a professional manner and during such a gala programme.
After the ‘Thunder Kids’ had given a thunderous start to the programme, the formal stage programme began with the lighting of the lamp by Pallonji Qatar General Manager Chidanand Nayak, his wife Asha Nayak, contracts manager Sharath Kumar Reddy and his wife Soujanya Reddy along with senior most staff members of the company Roopchand, Krishnappa Naik, Vijay Kumar Sankawat, Ibrahim Machampady, Kumar Dhakal and Akila Gayan.
After the formal inauguration of the decennial celebrations with the lighting of the lamp Chidanand Nayak and Sharath Kumar Reddy escorted the distinguished guests of the evening to the dais. Udayavani Kannada daily Mangalore news bureau chief Manohar Prasad was the chief guest of the evening while former president of Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy and veteran Tulu theatre personality M K Sitaram Kulal, renowned yakshagana artiste Bhaskar Rai Kukkuvalli, Namma Kudla TV channel director Leelaksha Karkera and ATS chief Ravi Shetty were the guests of honour.
Chidanand Nayak delivered the keynote address after the guests were welcomed with bouquet. In his address Chidanna recollected his and Pallonji’s successful journey in the last 10 years. He specially thanked his Maharashtra-based mother company Pallonji for keeping confidence and trust in his abilities to begin services in Qatar from the scratch. Humble and affectionate person he is, Chidanna did not forget to remember and thank his long-serving colleagues and contract manager Sharath Reddy for their dedicated service.
The guests Sitaram Kulal and Bhaskar Rai Kukkuvalli who addressed the gathering on the occasion were all ecstatic at Pallonji’s stunning growth. Kulal in a special way mentioned about Chidanand Nayak and Pallonji’s contribution to various organizations and causes back home and also thanked them for extending invitation for him to join the decennial celebration. He further made a special mention about Pallonji’s unique initiative of staging Tulu historical play ‘Mann’da Magal’ on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Pallonji Qatar.
Bhaskar Rai in his address said that Indians are a special breed of people who can go to any part of the world and can work and live their adapting to local conditions and still keeping the Indian traditions, mother tongue very much alive. “Seeing the way things are unfolding in Mangalore, I feel that Tulu culture and traditions are more alive abroad than in the homeland. Hats off to all the organizations across the gulf and specially Pallonji Qatar for striving hard to preserve and nurture native culture and Qatar,” he added.
Advanced Technical Services (ATS) chief Ravi Shetty who has seen the beginning and growth of Pallonji Qatar from close quarters congratulated the company and its general manager Chidanand Nayak and wished them best for the future endeavors.
Udayavani Mangalore bureau Chief Manohar Prasad thanked Pallonji Qatar for the services it has been rendering back home by contributing towards the social causes. He made the special mention of Pallonji Qatar’s cricket team which has been one of the best cricket teams in Qatar for long and has bagged trophies in countless numbers. It was a pleasure to hear Manohar Prasad as his oratory skills were seen in full flow. The man who has compared over 3500 shows across the globe and who is known for his great oratory skills in Tulu and Kannada delivered a perfect chief guest’s speech that had wishes to the organizers, piece of advises for the future, all clubbed together with witty anecdotes.
Pallonji Qatar contracts manager Sharath Kumar Reddy delivered the corporate speech on the occasion.
Continuing its contribution to the social causes Pallonji Qatar presented cheque of QR 10,000 each to Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) and South Kanara Muslim Welfare Association (SKMWA). While the ICBF was represented by its president Nilangshu Dey, President Abdulla Monu and Mohd Shameem received the cheque for SKMWA. For over twenty four years the Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF), an organization under the aegis of Embassy of India has undertaken the task through its volunteers of providing succor and solace to the needy and under-privileged members of Indian expatriate community at Qatar and their families in India.
ICBF provides assistance to the deserving persons who are stranded or are in distress. This includes those with deportation centre, those who have served their sentences in jail for offences in Qatar, people who are in need of medical treatment for life threatening diseases, those experiencing difficulties in obtaining legal advice and support etc.
The official website of Sri Lalithe drama troupe www.srilalithe.com was launched on the occasion by Chidanand Nayak.
Chief guests, guests of honour, guests and artistes Kishore D Shetty, M K Sitharam Kulal, Manohar Prasad, Tharanath Shetty Bolar, Ashok Kumar Shet, Bhaskara Kukkuvalli Rai, Leelaksha Babu Karkera, Shoba Shetty, noted singer Ravindra Prabhu, Jeevan Kumar Ullal, Rohidas Kadri, Ravi Shetty, Abdulla Monu, Uday Shetty, Divakar Poojary, Renjith Sekharan P, Tulu Koota Qatar president Ramachandra Shetty, Prakash Chandra Ajila, Praveen Kumar Attavar, Jeronimo Lobo, Bolar Karunakar Shetty, Mohd. Anwar Ahmad, Iqbal Manna, Jacintha Maria Mendonca, Daijiworld Qatar correspondent Alexis Castelino and Milan Arun along with Namma Kudla’s senior cameraman Shrikanth Rao and Thunder Kids’ mentor Srinivas Rao were presented with memotos on the occasion.
Hannan XI, the winners of Pallonji cup 2011 and runners-up Tulu Koota Qatar teams too were presented with trophies and each member of the each team was presented with gift vouchers. Staff members of Pallonji Qatar who have served the company for over 5 years too were honoured while the staff of the company led by Sharath Kumar took everyone by surprise as they felicitated their affectionate general manager Chidanand Nayak.
The stage programme ended with the vote of thanks proposed by Candid Bobby Pinto.
Doha Karnataka Sangha president V S Mannangi, immediate-past president Arun Kumar, ICC advisory council member Hassan Choughale, Qatar Tulu Koota president Ramachandra Shetty, ICC president K M Varghese, noted singers Mohd Haneef and Sangeetha, eminent compere Sahil Zaheer were also present on the occasion.
After the stage programme was over, the much-awaited cultural extravaganza began with ‘S P Balasubraymanyam of Dakshina Kannada’ Ravindra Prabhu presenting musical show. It was for the first time that Ravindra was performing in Qatar and as he has done everywhere else, he enthralled the gathering with his mellifluous singing. He began the show by belting out most popular super hit Tulu songs ‘Parashuramana kudarigay puttina Tulu nadu and ‘Mokeda Singari’ , both penned by Sitaram Kulal. However, the best moment of the evening came when Ravindra Prabhu accompanied by equally melodious Milan Arun presented one of the most sought-after dance numbers of present days ‘Apadi Pode’ from Tamil hit movie Gilli. The song had the audience storming the dance floor and asking for more.
After Ravindra Pabhu had set the tone for the cultural bash, one of Sitaram Kulal’s masterpieces ‘Mann’da Magal Abbakka’, a historic Tulu drama on the life of Queen Abbakka of Ullal was staged. The drama written and directed by Sitaram Kulal was presented by artistes of Sri Lalithe and Lakumi troupes of Kishor D Shetty. The drama scripted history of sorts as it was for the first time that a historic Tulu drama was being held in the region and the jam-packed Al Ghanzal hall suggested as how eagerly the Tuluvites living in Qatar were waiting for such a occasion. Queen Abbakka finds a little space in Indian history books and whatever is known about her is through a few ancient tablets about Chouta dynasty and Tulu Nadu that have been unearthed over the years. She is considered to be the first queen who stood against the onslaught of Portuguese and laid down her life in pursuit of freedom from the Portuguese regime. The play ‘Mann’da Magal Abbakka’ portrayed queen Abbakka’s braveheart efforts in preparing ground for future movement against foreigners in India.
Whole programme coordinated by ICBF secretary Divakar Poojary Milan Arun, a noted personality in Doha was the compere of the evening and she did a stupendous job in seeing that everything went on as planned. Her superb oratory skills coupled with witty comments kept the audience ever attentive to the end.