7 specially abled persons get Swabhiman awards

Accomplishments make a human being, says Prof B M Hegde

Fr Ivan Madtha from Mangalore (Priest/ magician), Mohommad Iqbal from Shirva (a hardware shop owner), Sudharatna from Mangalore (painter) and Wilfred Valerian Gomes (specially abled who has organised the alike) received the ‘Swabhiman’ main awards.

The ‘Swabhiman’ Apriciation Awards were given away to Harry Boniface Prabhu (wheelchair bound tennis player), Manipal Aruna Kumari (singer/musician) and Zena Colaco (hearing and speech impaired artist).

Accepting the award and addressing the gathering on behalf of all the awardees, Fr Ivan Madtha said that the people with disabilities are addressed to with different names. Some call them disabled, some call them specially abled. But whatever these persons are called, the reality does not change.

“We do not want change in name, what we want is change in attitude.We do not want sympathy, we want support,” Fr Madtha said and added that the differently abled people are like water. “Nothing can stop the flow of water. When posed with obstacles, water cuts across to make its own path. Differently abled people naturally channelise their energy in a different way to reach their goal,” he said.

Later, addressing the gathering, the chief guest and eminent Cardiologist Prof B M Hegde said that just the hands or legs or ears or eyes do not make a human being.

What makes a human being are his accomplishments and the differentially abled persons have immense capacities when compared to normal human beings, which makes them have an edge over others.

Appreciating the unqiue initiative of Daijiworld for honouring and saluting the differentially abled persons through the award, Dr Hegde urged the organisation to see to it that they give away something called a ‘compassion prize’ to all the nominees for the award, which will be a great step in appreciating the differently abled persons.

Award Chief Co-ordinator William Pais said that the entire experience of selecting the awardees has made him redefine terms like positive outlook, perseverance etc because it is through these achievers that so called normal human beings have to gain inspiration.
Jury Member Ronald Anil Fernandes said that the awardees in their own way are great achievers and they will by all means become icons in their respective fields.

Daijiworld Editor-in-Chief Walter Nandalike, Daijiworld weekly Editor Hemacharya among others were present. The programme was followed by an instrumental recital by Manipal Aruna Kumari, magic show by Fr Ivan Madtha and a song by blind artiste Kasturi.
Swabhiman Awards carries a citation, memento and a cash prize of Rs 25,000 while the Appreciation awards carries a citation and a cash prize of Rs 10,000.

Why them?

Fr Ivan Madtha spreads socially relevant messages through magic despite losing left arm and 2 fingers of right hand in a rail mishap, Mohammed Iqbal has excelled in academics and entrepreneurial initiative in spite of being affected with polio, Sudharatha K S, a wheelchair bound has created wonders with her paintbrush, Wilfred Valerian Gomes has been taking up cause of the disabled through organisation.

Special Recognition awardee Harry Boniface Prabhu has made it to the international arena of wheelchair tennis, Zena Colaco has excelled in academics and art in spite of being hearing and speech impaired and Aruna Kumari Manipal, a visually impaired has versatile music talent. She will be very soon reaching the Vidwan status.

Jury members Kannada writer Dr Sara Aboobacker, Vishwa Konkani Sardar Basti Vaman Shenoy, Social Worker Dr Lavina Noronha, Journalist Ronald Anil Fernandes chose the awardees.