Dr Sampat Shivangi, a 1962 batch alumnus of Kasturba Medical College (KMC), Manipal is in the news once again as a street in the US state of Mississippi has been named after him for the services rendered to local community there. The Dr Sampat Shivangi Lane was formally named on Saturday in recognition of Shivangi, eminent Republican from the state. Dr Shivangi conveyed news of street being named after him Dr M Ramdas Pai, Chancellor, Manipal University.
Dr Ramdas Pai as per a communique shared by Manipal University on Monday, in reply wrote: “I am glad to have your e-mail of 24th instant and to know that a street in Mississippi has been named after you. It is indeed a great recognition of your services to the community. My congratulations to you.” Dr Pai said, “It is indeed a joyous moment for Manipal University. All of Manipal (University) is proud of the great work Dr Shivangi is doing in the US”
Phil Bryant, state governor reappointed him for second sever-year term to board of Mississippi’s department of Mental Health. In June 2014, he became first Asian-American to become chairman of the Board which has close to a billion dollar budget with staff strength of over 8500. From 2005-2008, Dr Shivangi served as adviser to US secretary of health and human services. He is the founding president of American Association of Physicians of Indian origin in Mississippi.
He is also the past president and chair of the India Association of Mississippi.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Mangalore / by Jaideep Shenoy / TNN / April 25th, 2016
S.V. Jayasheela Raowas a recipient of the T.S.R. Award.
Veteran journalist S.V. Jayasheela Rao, known for his innovative style of legislature reporting, died in a private hospital here on Thursday.
Rao, who worked for major newspapers such asPrajavani , Samyuktha Karnataka , Munjaane , was given the T.S.R. Award for his contribution to journalism.
He was the press secretary to H.D. Deve Gowda, former Prime Minister, and the office-bearer of the Indian Federation of Working Journalists. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Mr. Gowda and Information and Publicity Minister R. Roshan Baig have mourned his death.
The final rites will take place on Friday, according to a press statement.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Bengaluru – April 29th, 2016
The audience and the musicians have surprising notions about what passes off as tradition
Every two minutes the audience applauded ecstatically. Requests were streaming in, there was a small mound of chits before the artistes. Behind me, from the fairly large audience, I heard whispers: ‘What a genius!’, ‘Wow, what speed.’ That done, they went back to chatting with their companions to the concert, took selfies, sauntered in and out, a quick coffee at the canteen etc. It was afterall possible to catch up with what was happening on stage at any point.
Even if it is not your favourite musician, it is good to be at the Ramanavami pandal once in a while to catch up with what’s happening in the music world.
The concert that was taking place at Fort High School was violin-mandolin duet by Mysore Manjunath and Mandolin U. Rajesh, accompanied by Thiruvarur Bhaktavatsalam on the mridanga and Giridhar Udupa on the ghatam. The very able Mysore Manjunath, groomed by his renowned father Vidwan Mahadevappa in the traditional Carnatic style, is much sought after in the international concert circuit considering his felicity with the violin. U. Rajesh is also widely acclaimed for his collaborations within the country and with western music groups. So, by the sheer choice of artistes, one fairly knows what to expect.
Carnatic music is traditional, conservative, and rigid – so goes the popular notion. If varna is the opening, if it is followed by a quick madhyamakala kriti, if it is then followed by a longer vilambakala kriti with alapane, neraval and swarakalpana and so on – all is well. Tradition is in safe hands. The audience is happy that all the pre-requisites are met.
Let’s take for instance, the piece de resistance of the concert. The ragam-tanam-pallavi in Simhendra Madhyama. Jugalbandis are undeniably about each musician bringing his own idea to the table, it is also however about an underlying harmony, and a shared vision. Manjunath played his part of thealapane – there were long, western concerto passages, there were Hindustani phrases, and suddenly, like a reminder, came Carnatic in a flash. Rajesh played staccato notes, and his parts were heavily inspired by film music. In between, for the tanam, they soared and plummeted the octaves in breakneck speed. Natakuranji, Bilahari, Desh and other ragas came, in complete absence of their selves. It was stream of consciousness, defiant to inherent structure, replete with broad brush strokes and high decibel. Thiruvarur Bhaktavatsalam added his bit – what’s moderation he seemed to ask as he thundered through his tani avartanam. The sedate, composed Giridhar Udupa held on bravely. There were bright moments, brilliant strokes – but parts hardly make for a whole.
But, there were thunderous applauses.
I am no conformist – I can listen and appreciate any kind of music rendered in its own way. I am sure there were many that evening who felt the way I did. This eclectic blast that tossed one between time-tested notions of tradition and avant gardism, seemed to have none of either.
Then maybe tradition is simply about donning an exterior? And maybe we, as audiences, love to fuss about a traditional core but actually find facades irresistible.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Friday Review / Deepa Ganesh / Bengaluru – April 28th, 2016
Retired IAS officer Shivanand Jamdar has come out with a book which highlights the step-motherly treatment meted out to north Karnataka as far as creation of infrastructure is concerned.
In the book, Taratamya, he has said barely any efforts have been made to develop the region, backing his claims with statistics. The disparity in allocation of funds and lack of commitment from the elected representatives collectively ensured the region remains backward.
Former journalist Patil Puttappa will release the book on Thursday at Suvarna cultural complex at 6.30pm.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Hubli / TNN / April 28th, 2016
Mysore District Athletics Association (MDAA) will present Nandi Awards-2016 during a programme organised at Lions Hall, next to Oval Ground, University of Mysore, tomorrow (Apr. 29) at 6.30 pm.
The awards will be presented to Mayor Bhyrappa (Sports Promotion), M. Bheeresh of Vijaya Karnataka (Sports Journalist) and M.N. Lakshminarayana Yadav of Star of Mysore (Sports Photographer).
The association will also honour ‘Best Athletes of Mysuru District 2015-16’ during tomorrow’s event.
Boys’ category: B. Munush (U-16) and C. Druva (U-18).
UoM DPE Director (in-charge) Dr. P. Krishnaiah and former Director of DPE Dr. C. Krishna will be the chief guests.
MDAA Chairman and MLA Vasu will preside.
MDAA President and former International Athlete S. Somashekar, MDAA Sr. Vice-President B.L. Jagadish and MDAA Vice-Presidents Mahesh Ballal & Abhilash Nair will be present on the occasion.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / Thursday – April 28th, 2016
Chandrahasa Charmadi after receiving the Padyana Gopalakrishna Memorial Award 2015 in Mangaluru on Tuesday.— Photo: By Special Arrangement
Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police Sharanappa S. Dhage on Tuesday said that journalists in the district work in the interest of society with progressive and reformative outlook. That is the reason they excel all over, he said. He was speaking after presenting Padyana Gopalakrishna Award, instituted by the Dakshina Kannada Working Journalists Union, to journalist Chandrahasa Charmadi, here. Mr. Sharanappa said that the police and the media persons work alike and are almost like a family because of their nature of work.
He appreciated the efforts of the union in instituting the award and presenting it to a reporter from rural area.
Responding to the felicitation, Mr. Charmadi, who works for the monthly magazine of Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project, said that he was thankful to the Dharmadhikari [Veerendra Heggade] for allowing him to contribute articles to other publications too. The award-winning article, appearing in a Kannada daily, Prajavani, was on the miserable living conditions of tribal people in a haadi in Chamarajanagar district, he said.
He said that he was happy that the government and other associations initiated reform measures after his article was published. Mr. Charmadi also declared that the purse of Rs. 10,000 coming with the award would be spent on the betterment of people living in the tribal haadi.
Senior journalist Manohar Prasad spoke about his association with late Gopalakrishna. The biography of late Gopalakrishna, being written by senior journalist Chidambara Baikampady, would be released in Bengaluru on April 30 and at Mangaluru on May 3, Mr. Prasad said. Office-bearers of the union were present.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Cities> Mangaluru / by Special Correspondent / Mangaluru – April 27th, 2016
Performing at the prestigious Carnegie Hall, New York, is a dream for any musician. And a 12-year-old Bengaluru girl is all set to live this dream.
Nilanjanaa Jayant will join a handful of musicians like Pandit Shivkumar Sharma and Ustad Zakir Hussain when she performs at the hall in October. The honour follows her victory at the Golden Voices of America competition.
In March, Nilanjanaa’s mother asked her to send an entry for the event. The girl sent a clipping of her performing Frank Sinatra’s popular jazz number Fly me to the Moon.
Declared a winner in the Musical Theater/Disney/Broadway/Jazz category a month later, Nilanjanaa will perform live the same song at Carnegie Hall this October. Winners in other categories will also perform with her.
Music and Nilanjanaa go a long way, recalls her mother, Sangeeta Ananth. “Even as a young girl, she’d hum the tunes of songs really well. When she turned six, we made her join Carnatic music classes. Though she was left-handed, she was expected to put the tala only with the right hand. This she couldn’t digest and refused to attend the classes.”
“I didn’t understand why I had to use my right hand,” says Nilanjanaa, who was later introduced to Bengaluru-based music school Taaqademy, founded by musicians Rajeev Rajagopal and Bruce Lee Mani.
“It was so much more fun learning music at Taaqademy. They encourage you to do what you want to rather than what you are expected to do,” said the 12-year-old.
The only child of JP Nagar residents Jayant Ananthkrishnan and Sangeeta Ananth, Nilanjanaa studies in class VIII at The Samhita Academy, Bannerghatta Road.
Not just Nilanjanaa, even her teacher Ragini Ramanathan will get a certificate of recognition from the Golden Voices of America for having trained her. “When she came to Taaqademy, she showed a lot of potential. Her voice was loud and clear and her pitch would hit the right notes. She is so determined to learn and so hard working that she wouldn’t give up even if she didn’t get it right after trying 3-4 times,” said Ragini, 25, faculty at Taaqademy.
For IT professional Jayant Ananthakrishnan, Taaqademy was the best thing that happened to his daughter.
“The experience with the music school has been very fulfilling. This success is the result of the training she has been getting there. Coming from a south Indian background, people kept advising us against western music, telling us that she will get used to using the right hand to put her talas. But we know we weren’t wrong in choosing Taaqademy,” he said.
“I have a bit of stage-fright. I’m just going to try and calm myself down before I get on the stage there,” said Nilanjanaa, gearing up for an experience of a lifetime.
Golden Voices of America
Golden Voices of America is an international competition, open to all countries for vocalists of different age groups. It began in 2009 under the American Fine Arts Festival.
Vocalists compete on this global platform and the winners get to perform at the Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall and at Bruno Walter Auditorium in Lincoln Center.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Bangalore / Deepika Burli, TNN / April 27th, 2016
He grows from one book to the other …. And even the best book has more to say
Muralidhara Khajane scans the innumerable books written on the iconic actor Rajkumar, and finds that every book remains incomplete, simply because the man was multi-dimensional
Even after ten years of his ‘physical departure’ from this mortal world, there’s no remote possibility of anyone filling the vacuum created by Dr. Rajkumar, the cultural icon of Kannada land, language and culture. To this day, he occupies a position most unique in the culture-scape of the land. Rajkumar is an institution, a status that few film stars boast of in India. He is still “Annavru” for the true-blue Kannadiga. Rajkumar’s stardom doesn’t merely come from the fact that he was an actor exemplar, but because he was an ideal, a role model for the Kannadiga. In the absence of a dedicated political movement for the cause of Kannada and local culture, he came to symbolise the hope and angst of a large section of Kannada-speaking people. He was a singer par-excellence. There was no character which he had not portrayed with distinction. It is hard to find an actor in Kannada, who has not acknowledged him as his idol.
It is not possible to capture the persona of this legendary actor in one visual or literary piece. Those writers, who have tried their hand at capturing the ‘spirit’ of Dr. Rajkumar in the last five decades still feel that they have touched only the peripheral aspects of his personality.
According to film historians, as many as 71 books have been published on Rajkumar so far, besides nine souvenirs. Rajakumara – a small book written by Kannada activist Kodihosalli Ramanna in 1964 is said to be the first work on the actor. Bhagyada Bagilu — a work by V. Nagaraju was published when the film with the same title (Rajukmar’s 100th film) was released; it is an important work. Padmabhushana brought out by Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, which has complete details of all the 170 films of Rajkumar is another such work. Kathanayakana Kathe by filmmaker Dattu serialised in a Kannada film magazine, enjoys the credit of chronicling the life of Rajkumar for the first time. Besides, Jananayaka by Baraguru Ramachandrappa and Rajamuttu by journalist and script writer Satyamurthy Ananduru are other important works on the actor.
Dr. Rajkumar Samagra Charitre by film writer Doddahulluru Rukkoji, a 2148 page, two volume work with 8,700 exclusive photographs, published recently is being considered as the latest and complete work on the iconic actor. Works on the actor, published till date, pales before this work, be it in size, content, quality of publishing or in terms of the depth of the author’s analysis. The weight of these two volumes is a humungous 10 kilos and they were ferried to Bengaluru all the way from the press in Sivakasi for the launch!
This voluminous work won the Swarna Kamal at the 63rd National Awards recently and the citation described the work as an “encyclopaedic study into the life and career of one of India’s greatest screen legends, Dr. Rajkumar. The 15-year research behind the writing of this twin volume makes it a valuable resource for scholars, students and cinephiles of the present and future. ”
Rukkoji described the award as: “another award for Dada Saheb Phalke recipient actor Rajkumar at the national level. It is posthumous award to the great art soul.”
While the first volume chronicles early life, times and family details of Rajkumar, the second volume delves in to 206 films in which the actor acted. Rukkoji started writing about Rajkumar when he was working for Kajaana a film weekly. The writer travelled to various places to source material and pictures. Over 140 persons including directors, producers, artistes, technicians and family members of the thespian were interviewed and over 20,000 exclusive pictures were collected. It cost Mr. Rukkoji nearly a crore for printing and publishing the book.
Dr. Rajkumar: The Person Behind the Personality by thespian’s son and popular actor Puneeth Rajkumar is another picturesque volume on the actor. This coffee table book is a record of the legendary actor’s life and career, packed with no less than 1,750 photographs, many of them never published before. According to Puneet, who teamed up with Prakruthi N. Banavasi to bring out this bilingual volume, it is an attempt to preserve the soul of the legendary actor for posterity. This work is replete with anecdotes and incidents that shaped Rajkumar’s persona and tracks his early life, childhood, adolescence, early career in company drama, cinema, his stint as a singer as well as defining moments in his personal life and the Kannada film industry itself. Puneet tried to understand his iconic father through the eyes of his mother, brothers, family and friends. According to him, it is not a documentation of Dr. Rajkumar’s life, but simply unveils the persona of the great artiste through the words of those who knew him from close quarters.
Rajkumar Ondu Belaku and Rajkumar: A journey with the Legend – another bilingual work on the thespian by filmmaker and writer Praveen Nayak. This work with 47 small chapters delineates every aspect of Rajkumar’s life with a personal touch. This film maker, who was associated with the actor for more than 30 years, etched a picture of the actor with vivid details. Praveen Nayak says that his interaction with Rajkumar over a period of time had made him realise that at his core, he always remained Mutturaj — a name and personality he was born with. “He never lost his Mutturaj-ness,” he says.
Praveen Nayak, a still photographer, has a huge collection of Rajkumar’s photographs; he followed the actor like Nemai Ghosh followed Satyajit Ray. He selected best of his works and sourced rare pictures from others to make the volume picturesque besides being poetic.
Kannadada Muttina Kathe: Rajkumar by cine-writer and journalist B. Ganapathi is another important work on the actor. The author put together all his articles and interviews with Rajkumar for over two decades. There is a long chapter on the days the actor spent in forest, when the brigand Veerappan abducted him. A chapter on fifty years of his professional life is an important chapter. Here, which is a powerful instance of his humility, the actor says that the film industry gave him all the necessities of a good life, and what he gave in return was meagre. The most interesting chapter in the book is of his childhood years.
Bangarada Manushya by writer and a bureaucrat Aa. Na. Prahlada Rao is another important work on Rajkumar. It closely examines the achievements of the actor both on and off the screen. The writer delves into genres of films Rajkumar acted — mythology, social dramas, etc. besides exploring his role of a singing star. This too has rare photographs of his films and other achievements. Bangarada Manushya can also be considered as a referral volume, because of its rich details on the growth and evolution of Kannada film industry. This was published first in 2005, when Rajkumar was alive and has run into four editions so far.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Friday Review / by Muralidhara Khajane / Bengaluru – April 21st, 2016
1) R.K.Narayan’s house still under restoration. 2) F.K. Irani’s bungalow in dilapidation.
by Vikram Muthanna
Recently, a few politicians called our office sounding panicked. They said the windows of Irani’s house were being broken. For a moment, I thought an angry mob was attacking my friend Raian Irani’s house! Then they clarified that it was his father, the legendary F.K. Irani’s old house that was being demolished.
The house that these politicians were talking about is ‘Kripalaya,’ located in the corner, between the Police Commissioner’s Office and Ginger Hotel in Nazarbad. It was purchased by Ideal Jawa India Limited when Farrokh Khudamurad Irani was its Chairman from the Maharaja Kumari Kamakshi Devi Trust.
After the Ideal Jawa factory shut down, this bungalow was auctioned off along with the Jawa factory land, where Sankalp Central Park stands today, by the Karnataka High Court to pay off factory employees in July 2003.
Now it seems, M/s Sweety Property Developers (P), who bought the property 13 years ago is demolishing the dilapidated bungalow. But suddenly our city fathers have risen to save it. But save it from what? And save it from whom? If anything, our city’s land and buildings need to be saved from the very people who are supposed to protect it.
This reminds me, of late it seems some local leaders who are supposed to promote garbage collection to maintain our cleanest city tag are reportedly using garbage for their own “collection”!
Yes, if you have a commercial establishment or if you are building a house and don’t “pay up,” they will simply mark the area in front of your complex or house as a community garbage dump and then instruct the garbage collector not to show up for a few weeks. Soon the stench will render your nostrils numb and you will be forced to pay through your nose to get it cleared. Citizens are being held for ransom with the threat of garbage! So our city’s cleanliness and heritage are not really a very big priority for some of our city fathers.
Now, indeed all of them are right, we must honour F.K. Irani, but why this sudden flood of affection for Mr. Irani just when his old house is being demolished? After all, when this bungalow was auctioned the same people were alive, kicking and politicking; so why didn’t they ask the government to buy it in auction then? Also the same people drove past this bungalow for 13 years as it stood there rotting, why didn’t they think of restoring it then?
Also F.K Irani lived in another house called Bloomfield in the same row for many years; so should we make it heritage too and snatch it away illegally from the private owner? More importantly, where was this care for heritage when Ginger Hotel was built after demolishing another heritage home right next to Kripalaya? Where was this noise when the Palace Garage behind this row of heritage homes was demolished and sold to a builder as recently as four years ago?
Even more interesting while the Corporators want to restore F.K Irani’s house, just down the road from this bungalow is the F.K. Irani Circle. Yes, there is a Circle named after this amazing entrepreneur, philanthropist and visionary. The circle is an insult to the great man. They cannot maintain a Circle in F.K Irani’s name and now they want to take away a bungalow, which has been legally sold to another private citizen years ago?
Even more interesting, one of the politicians who said, “we must save the house as Irani built great institutions for Mysuru” actually had joined his party members in asking the government to shut down Mysore Race Club (MRC) calling it a place for gamblers. But guess he forgot it was Mr. Irani who founded this institution, which today employs 1,900 people and pays the government Rs.25 crore in taxes, has funded 80,000 free eye surgeries.
Also interestingly while this political party called MRC a gamblers den, the same party gave late M.A.M. Ramaswamy, India’s largest Race Horse owner a Rajya Sabha ticket! Let it be.
Now all this talk of restoring and heritage, all the showering of adjectives such as respect, legendary, visionary etc.., reminded me that we are incapable of securing, restoring and respecting our legends or heritage. Remember what happened to R.K. Narayan’s house?
Our city’s legendary writer R. K. Narayan’s (RKN)house stands in Yadavagiri like an orphaned elder; dry to the bone, dilapidated, helpless and lonely. With this R.K. Narayan’s fears have come true. When he was asked why he sold his manuscript to the United States, RKN said “if I had given my manuscripts to the (Indian) government archives, they would have dumped it in some corner where it would have been lying gathering dust and I would have got an acknowledgement on a buff paper. In Boston, they are preserved in air-conditioned lockers.”
Yes, RKN was right. Not only is his manuscript preserved, he also got paid for it. If he had given it to our government, first he would have been emotionally blackmailed by the press and litterateurs to give it away for free, then the government would have preserved it so well that it would be gleaming. Gleaming because silver fish would be chomping away at the manuscript. Just like how they are now “preserving” his house.
Also while our leaders keep harping about “heritage” what have they done to create a Heritage Policy like in European nations? In those countries, if you live in a heritage home and keep it as it is, you get tax breaks. If you need assistance to restore your heritage home, the government will send in experts to help you. They will assist you in getting grants to pay for upkeep. If you want to sell it, the government will pay you market price. Here we just find a reason to harass a private citizen who has bought or inherited an old house from his family.
According to the new CDP, private heritage properties are exempt from the government list. Instead of eyeing private heritage buildings, the Corporators can make use of one of the 131 heritage buildings owned by the government in Mysuru and turn it into a History Museum. For now, our leaders can first restore our roads.
e-mail: vikram@starofmysore.com
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> In Black & White / by Vikram Muthanna / April 24th, 2016
Former Kannada Sahitya Parishat (KSP) President Pundalika Halambi passed away at a private hospital here this morning following renal failure. He was 64.
Halambi who had taken ill was undergoing treatment at Shekar Hospital at Basavagudi here. He had undergone heart surgery recently and was recovering.
He leaves behind his wife Saroja and two sons.
The body of Halambi will be taken to his residence in Jayanagar and then will be taken to Kannada Sahitya Parishat office in Chamarajapet, where it will be kept for public viewing.
Last rites will be held at Chamrajapet Crematorium near T.R. Mills today evening.
Born in Haalaadi in Kudapura taluk in Udupi district, Pundalika Halambi was a Kannada activist and had served as the Treasurer of KSP for about 14 years before serving as the 24th President of KSP.
He had defeated Prof. Chandrashekar Patil, popularly known as Champa in literary circles, by more than 7,000 votes.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Sunday – April 24th, 2016
