M'lore: Prof B M Hegde Exhorts Bunt Elders to "Walk their Talk" 
  
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore
Report by: Nina Rai, Pic's by: Dayanand Kukkaje
 
Mangalore, Feb 24: “I have seen many Bunt leaders lecture from the podium on the menace of dowry and they are the ones that take, may be, the highest bid behind our backs. Let all our elders walk their talk. The world of the young will change.” declared prof B M Hegde delivering the presidential address at the 93rd AGM of the ‘Buntara Yane Nadavara Mathr Sangha’ (BANMS) of DK district, which was held here on Saturday, Feb 23 at the A B Shetty Centennial hall here.
 
There were two sessions from 11 to 1.30 and second from 3.00 to 4.30 pm. The  first session of the BANMS began on schedule at 11 am attended by nearly 2,500 delegates particularly from the rural belt. The function began with the traditional lighting of lamp by prof (Dr) B M Hegde, former VC Manipal University and former director-professor, principal and dean of Kasturba Medical College, who also presided over the function.
 
Speaking on the occasion Prof B M Hegde speaking extensively for more than an hour dealt on wide ranging topics specifically relating to the Bunt community starting from the beginning of the Bunts Sangha, to its culture, brotherhood and marriages particularly the menace of 'dowry'.
 

In his speech laying emphasis on education he rued the fact that even after 60 years of independence "we are still intellectual slaves of the western thoughts." He then went on to trace the root cause of our present state of education. He quoted extensively the views of foreign historical figures like Macaulay & his speech in the Commons, Voltaire and Tagore. He also spoke about Bunt entrepreneurship wherein he said positively "the healthy and happy tendency now is to see Bunts go into industries of various kinds in a big way," and also spoke on community service, legal aid cell and a medical advisory cell and finally the care of the aged and infirm Bunts.
 
"Bunts need to unite as a community and work towards the up-liftment of the society in general, " opined Sangha president Kodman Amarnath Shetty, ex. Minister of Karnataka in his welcome speech before the gathering. He also dealt briefly on the various activities to be conducted by the Sangha in the coming years.

The second session of the Sangha began from 3 and ended around 4.30 pm. It was a closed door session wherein only the members held discussions on the agenda and activities to be undertaken by the Sangha in the coming year. Both the sessions ended with a vote of thanks proposed by the joint secretary Jayakar Shetty Indrali. 
 
Twelve noteworthy Bunt personalities were felicitated on the occasion with gold medals instituted by various donors from different fields. Also in the midst of the two sessions between 1.45 to 3.00 pm various entertainment programmes were conducted by the students of institutions run by the Sangha, such as fusion dancing, Bihu dance, Rajasthani folk dance, skits etc.
 
Also present on the occasion were Ajit Kumar Maladi - chairman of the Federation of Bunts Association and convenor for the upcoming centenary celebrations of the Sangha in Dec 2008, M Sundar Shetty, secretary of the Sangha, Sadananda Malli, present treasurer and Jayakar Shetty Indrali, joint secretary.