The list was long, the numbers thronging to get a close look at proceedings was high and the venue, the Ravindra Kalakshetra, was too small for all the excitement.
The list was long, the numbers thronging to get a close look at proceedings was high and the venue, the Ravindra Kalakshetra, was too small for all the excitement. This year’s Kannada Rajyotsava Awards ceremony turned into a much-awaited and eagerly watched ‘competition’. The grand score was kept under wraps until the last minute. In the end, it was 182, 20 more than previously announced.
The state government was compensating for last year, when the annual event had to be cancelled as 14 districts in the state were battling severe floods, said Kannada and culture minister Govind M Karjol. “Personalities from 25 fields are being honoured today. For the first time, agriculturists are on the list too,” said Karjol, justifying the unprecedented number of awardees.
As the awardees’ number burgeoned, the venue proved woefully inadequate. Chaos greeted invitees, and mediapersons were seen pleading with policemen to be allowed in. Even the few who got through after flashing their invitation cards found themselves without seats, and were forced to stand for the three-hour duration of the programme. Commotion did not die down even as the chief minister spoke about preparations for the Vishwa Kannada Sammelan to be held in Belgaum in February 2011.
Ministers seated in the front rows found their view blocked by scrambling photographers, who scrambled for pictures, knocking over flower pots.
Chief executive officer, Infosys Technologies, S Gopalakrishnan was conspicuous by absence. Others like MGR Arasu GM Hegde, Ashwini A, Adoja Naganna Badiger too did not make it. Film actors V Ravichandran, NS Umesh, Ravikiran and Ashok Basti (a look-alike of Dr Rajkumar) elicited applause.
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