By Ronald D F D’Souza and Joe Andrade
Daijiworld Media Network - Bahrain (MR)
Bahrain, Jul 6: Kannada Sangha, Bahrain, took-off with its `Sambhrama 2008' program highlighting the goodwill visit of Dr Veerendra Heggade and his wife Hemavathi Heggade, in grand style at the Al Raja School, Bahrain premises at 5.00 p.m. Upon arrival, the Heggade couple accompanied by the Indian Ambassador to Bahrain, Balakrishna Shetty, were welcomed at the entrace by colourfully sari-clad ladies in `Poorna-Kumba' traditional style welcome, typical with “kalasa”, fragrant Jasmine flowers and the marching beats of enthusiastic traditional drummers. They were led to the main Conference Hall where they acknowledged by the gentle wave of their hands the warm welcome afforded to them.
Ramesh Manjeshwar welcomed guests and the audience who had gathered in large numbers followed by a prayer song and welcome dance by four young “Bharathanatyam” dancers, Club members’ children. This was immediately followed by a classical dance recital depicting Shabarimalai Ayyappa.
Sambhrama 2008 was graced by Bahrain’s minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Nissar Al-Baharna, who was kind enough to accept the invitation to attend. Austin Santosh, the President of Kannada Sangha, Bahrain, addressed the audience and thanked Dr Heggade and his wife for taking the trip to Bahrain after nearly 14 years since the last visit. Anil Bhassagi thereafter gave a brief introduction of all the dignitaries who were called onto the stage and felicitated individually. Mementos were present to all the dignitaries who were on stage and some key members of the Kannada Sangha who had done yeoman service in one capacity or other. Dr Al-Baharna was honored with a silk shawl by Dr Heggade addressing the audience briefly quoting Jawaharlal Nehru’s famous 2nd February, 1948, speech immediately after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi titled “a glory has departed”. Dr Heggade also honored Balakrishna Shetty significantly with the famous Dharmasthala Medal for outstanding service to humanity.
Dr Veerendra Heggade then addressed the gathering for over an hour highlighting India’s progress and identified where matters lagged behind including the long-term drawbacks due to certain key policies of the Governments. He highlighted the hallmarks of Indians in general all over the world, viz., the goodness, godliness, dedication to duty and the roots in their motherland without compromising on principles. In light of certain drawbacks, he highlighted the need of his forming self-help groups in villages particularly in self-employment and personal group loans without mortgages unlike in Banks. He touched on various aspects of life, and his efforts to improve on village culture and traditions that so much brought to life ancient practices, Yakshagana and Tulu culture which he said was sadly declining. He called for people in general to give viable wise suggestions to further uplift the backward villages.
Hemavathy Hegde then addressed the gathering for quite some time, holding the audience to ransom with words of wisdom and laced her talk with much contemporary humor inviting a loud applause from the floor in appreciation at regular intervals. She thoughtfully put nice words to thank the audience at large for the big gift they had given her in welcoming her to the isles of Bahrain!
The felicitations were followed by classical and cultural group dances by local artistes and concluded with the main highlighting program of the evening, a Yakshagana performance titled in Kannada as “Sudharshana Garva Bhanga” by three specially flown in experts from Dharmasthala and local artistes.
Along with a few other Associations, the Karavali Konkans Association, represented by President Ronald D. F. D’Souza, Secretary Joseph Andrade and Treasurer Cyril Pereira felicitated Dr Veerendra Heggade on his departure from the Al Raja School Hall at the end of the program.
Sambhrama 2008 was the main event for Kannada Sangha under the Presidentship of Austin Santosh and his team of Executive Committee members appreciated by the members and well-wishers who had gathered.