Kundapur: Former Town Municipal President Edwin Crasta No More
Report: Vinay Pais
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, May 18:  Veteran Congress Party leader, industrialist and former president of Kundapur municpality Edwin P Crasta (78) breathed his last on the evening of Sunday May 17, in a hospital due to cardiac arrest in a hospital.

Born in Kannadakudru isle near here, Crasta began his career in Mumbai from where, he went to Bahrain. After being there for nearly a decade, he came back to his native place in the year 1964 and founded Crasta Engineering Works in the town. This industry provided employment to several hundred young people of the region. He opened a branch of the concern in Mysore thereafter, and plunged into politics later. Recently, he set up an industry named 'Crasta Fuels' in the town.

In politics too, he earned lot of admirers because of his disarming simplicity and transparent sincerity. He fought his first political battle in the year 1977 as a candidate of Janata Party from Byndoor legislative assembly constituency in the and later, formed a local outfit named 'Poura Samiti,' fought municipal election and succeeded in becoming the president of the local town municipal council. During his presidentship, several roads in the town were concreted and electric street lights were provided.  Crasta is given credit for giving impetus to the famous movement, 'Sundara Kundapura', meant to beautify the city.  He was a secular to the core, and his sterling qualities ensured that he was made the first district president of Janata Dal, Udupi unit.  During this period, the state government formed by Janata Dal, under the chief ministership of J H Patel, was functional.

Crasta later joined the Congress party. Crasta, a good cricketer himself, was responsible for establishing Bahrain Cricket Club when he was in the Gulf and trained many young cricketers. He was the founder of Kundapur Sowharda Vedike and functioned as the president of Catholic Sabha Legal Committee. He remained very active till the very end.

Crasta had been to Bangalore in the company of his family members to take part in a marriage ceremony, and suffered heart attack when he reached Mangalore. He was rushed to a hospital for treatment, but could not be revived.

He is left behind by wife Lionella Crasta, a former municipal vice-president, four sons and three daughters. Various organizations, individuals, institutions etc., have condoled his death.