News & Pics: Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai (RD/SB)
 
Mumbai, Oct 5: Stella Rosario, a social activist of Mangalorean origin settled at I C Colony, Borivli (West), here and involved in attending to the last rites of orphaned corpses since the past few decades was felicitated during the annual general body meeting of Canara Konkani Association, I C Colony, Borivali (West) at St Francis Xavier Business Management College, Poisar, Kandivali (West) here on Saturday October 3. It’s significant that Stella Rosario has attended to the last rites of corpses and mutilated bodies of the victims of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and also earlier in the bomb attacks at metro.

Association honorary president Albert W D’Souza, in his presidential address, said that mother tongue Konkani unites the brethren under an umbrella. The unity helps in sustaining the mother tongue, age-old traditions and cultures. He also urged the brethren to further strive for unity and to spread the fragrance of Konkani all over the world.

Acknowledging the felicitation, Stella Rosario said that death is inevitable while the humanitarian task of attending to the last rites of unfortunate and orphaned deceased was her mission. She said she was doing her mite by arranging for the dignified burial of the deceased.

Stella Rosario is a native of Koila village under Siddakatte gram panchayat of Bantwal taluk in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka. Earlier her family worked in the Gulf and thereafter settled in I C Colony, here a few decades ago. Since then, Stella has been involved in humanitarian service and so far has organized the last rites of a few thousand orphaned bodies across the metro.
 
The scholarships to financially poor students and orphaned were awarded on the occasion. Leo Coutinho conducted the prayer service. Association secretary Charles D’Cunha presented the annual report. Treasurer Robert F Tauro presented the annual accounts.