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MLC C.H. Vijayashankar presenting Karnataka Choodamani award to former Minister B.T. Lalitha Nayak at a function in city yesterday. Others seen are District Kannada Sahitya Parishat President Maddikere Gopal, poet Jaraganahalli Shivashankar, poetess Latha Rajashekar and KSRTC Divisional Controller M.N. Srinivas.

Mysore, Oct. 24 (MTY&RNN)

Former Minister B.T. Lalitha Nayak was yesterday conferred Karnataka Choodamani award given by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation’s Central Kannada Working Committee for outstanding services to Kannada land and culture.

Conferring the award at a colourful function organised at Rajendra Bhavan on Ramanuja Road in city, MLC C.H. Vijayashankar lauded the services rendered by Lalitha Nayak, who had overcome shortcomings of being a dalit besides being a woman to render yeomen services to Kannada culture.

Till recently, it was difficult for people of backward community, especially women, to get education, he said and added that Lalitha Nayak had successfully confronted those problems and excelled in contributing to the society which in itself was a great achievement.

Replying to the felicitation, the Karnataka Choodamani Lalitha Nayak said that the difficulties and atrocities faced by tribal women forced her to take to writing and used an incident of a husband harassing his wife as an epicentre for her novel.

Lalitha Nayak said that she was allegedly removed as Minister of Kannada and Culture for not arranging for party funds. She said that she was informed later that her successor collected Rs. 20 lakh from officials for party fund.

She expressed happiness that the incident saved her from being branded as corrupt which could even have resulted in her going to jail.

Earlier, Lalitha Nayak was brought to the venue from Gun House Circle on a decorated vehicle in a grand procession, which was accompanied by various cultural artistes

http://www.starofmysore.com / General News / October 24th, 2011