Report from Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai (RD/SP)
 
Mumbai, Jun 19: “Tulu, one among the five Dravidian languages has been gifted with its own Tulu Academy, but the tragedy is that Tulu has not made it to the curriculum in primary schools.  A Tulu museum is a necessity, in order to bring before the world the rich cultural heritage of Tulunadu.  The Tulu litterateurs and all those organizations involved in promoting Tulu should bring pressure on the state government in this regard,” said Jayasrikrishna Parisara Premi Samiti founder Tonse Jayakrishna Shetty.
 
Jayakrishna Shetty was speaking at the releasing ceremony of ‘Muguru Purpu’, a collection of Tulu  songs, composed by metro’s renowned poet Kadandale Vasu Shetty, which was held recently at Karnataka Sangh auditorium, Matunga, here. 
 
Vasu Shetty is a rare Tulu litterateur who pursued his poetic skills despite the busy schedule at the hotel where he worked.  He has made his honest attempt in composing the songs giving shape out of his own experiences, said Jayakrishna Shetty.
 
Veteran hotellier Kadandale Parari Prabhakar L Shetty was the chief guest of the occasion.
 
Litterateur H B L Rao, assistant police commissioner Susheela C Shetty, Yakshanagana artiste K K Shetty, veteran hotellier Raghu P Shetty and ‘Karnataka Malla’ Kannada daily sub-editor Sripati Champa were present at the dais.
 
Kannada Bhavan Society president A B Shetty, in his presidential address, noted that despite financial difficulties, Vasu Shetty has retained his interest in and excelled at poetry in Tulu, the language of his native place.  Meanwhile, if Tulu is being spoken in every households from coastal  Karnataka families settled in metro, their native language, Tulu will have better future, he asserted.
 
Mala Bhaskar Shetty sang the prayer hymn.  Bhaskar K Shetty welcomed the gathering.
 
Hotellier Ravindra Poonja, K M Kotian, Sa Daya (Dayanand Salian), Padmanaba Shetty, Gurudatta Poonja and Vijay Poojary were honoured on this occasion.

Kadandale Vasu Shetty couple was honoured by presenting them with Rs 70,000 in cash.  Vasu Shetty acknowledged this gesture of goodwill.
 
A musical concert was staged by the members of the women’s wing of the Bunts Sangh in addition to a dance show by Twinkle Shetty group. 
 
Vijay Kumar Shetty and Pramoda S Mada compered the cultural programme.  S K Sundar proposed vote of thanks.