Speaking after conferring State award for 2007 on 51 personalities, he said our rural and folk culture is gradually taking a back seat due to new trends among youth. “If due attention is not paid to remedy the situation, the original and indigenous culture, art forms and rituals will get faded sooner than we think,” he said.

Mr Thakur said though the government wished to honour many personalities in different walks of life, the decision to honour only 51 persons on the occasion of 51st Rajyotsava Day has tied the hands of the administration.

Ananth Nag and Parvathamma from cinema sector, Sumitra Gandhi Kulkarni, a grand-daughter of Mahata Gandhi, writer Dr C N Ramachandran, dancer Gita Datar, veteran columnist TJS George, cartoonist Ponnappa, veteran journalist (science and environment) Nagesh Hegde and  Ms Ghaini Lal Singh Jamakar, a traditional medicine practitioner from Davangere aged over 100 years, were among others who received the awards.

However, billiards player Pankaj Advani, scholar G N Chakravarthi, researcher D N Shankar Bhat and Horanadu Kannadiga Dr H Y Rajagopal (US), could not attend the ceremony.