Silvester D’Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (MS)
Kundapur, Dec 26: “When a person receives equal praise and criticism, they ascend to a unique summit of balance. B Appanna Hegde exemplifies such a rare achievement,” said Dr Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala, while inaugurating the 90th birthday celebration of Basroor Appanna Hegde at the Gurukula Public School campus in Vakwadi on Tuesday.
Dr B A Vivek Rai, retired chancellor of Hampi Kannada University, expressed his privilege to share the stage with three distinguished individuals and acknowledged the honour of receiving the Basroor Appanna Hegde Educational Award.
Dr Mohan Alva reminisced about his longstanding association with Appanna Hegde and Amarnath Shetty, emphasizing their contributions to social development.
Reflecting on contemporary political, social, and cultural trends, Appanna Hegde stressed the importance of nurturing positive thoughts to build a better society. He called for a stronger focus on moral and value-based education among students, urging parents and teachers to guide children in this direction. He also cautioned against politicians misusing the public for selfish purposes.
During the event, aid was distributed to underprivileged individuals, and scholarships were awarded to students by the foundation. Hundreds of organizations honoured Appanna Hegde for his immense contributions.
Entrepreneur K Prakash Shetty Banjara, MLAs Rajegowda, Kiran Kumar Kodgi, Suresh Shetty, Yashpal Suvarna, Gururaj Gantihole, former legislative council chairman K Pratapchandra Shetty, and former MLA B M Sukumara Shetty were among the dignitaries who felicitated Hegde.
Other prominent attendees included Ramratan Hegde, Subhashchandra Shetty Bandya, Sushant Rai, Nirupama Hegde, Preetam S Rai, Ananda C Kundar, Bhojaraj Shetty Byndoor, and T B Shetty Kundapur.
The programme commenced with a warm welcome by Anupama S Shetty of the Basroor Appanna Hegde Foundation, while Administrative Trustee Ramkishan Hegde presented the annual report. Uday Shetty Padukare read out a congratulatory letter, and Rajesh K C hosted the event. Kalakshetra president B Kishore Kumar proposed the vote of thanks, and Dinakar R Shetty announced the list of beneficiaries.
Cultural programmes, including ‘Beli Mullina Neeli Hoovugalu’ by Mangaluru Journey Theatre, ‘Nritya Sangama’ by Gurukula students, and performances by Kollur Sri Mookambika Nrityagathe of the Arehole Foundation's Nandagokula team, were well received by the audience. The celebrations concluded with dinner served to over 5,000 attendees.