The Vishwa Gujarati Samaj has chosen octogenarian Kutchi leader and former state assembly speaker, Kundanlal Dholakia, for its prestigious annual award.
The Vishwa Gujarati Samaj (VGS), which aims at unifying Gujaratis the world over, has chosen octogenarian Kutchi leader and former state assembly speaker, Kundanlal Dholakia, for its prestigious annual award for 2008.
Instituted in 2002 and named after Kanjibhai Desai, freedom fighter and a close associate of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Shri Kanjibhai Desai Gujarati Pratibha Award is awarded annually to an outstanding Gujarati who has had a clean, transparent and dedicated public life. It carries a cash award of Rs1 lakh, a citation and a memento.
Announcing this here on Tuesday, the new vice-president of VSG and former MLA, Mohan Shah, said that he had already handed over a formal letter to Dholakia who has accepted the award. He said the award would be given by the Lok Sabha Speaker, Somnath Chatterji, at a function to be held this month in Ahmedabad.
Dholakia is the seventh recipient of the award, with earlier recipients being Kakubhai Nayak (2002), Padmabhushan Purnimaben Pakwas (2003), Gordhanbhai Patel (2004), Manibhai Dosi (2005), Thakorebhai Patel (2006) and Jayaben Shah (2007).
He said this year’s award selection committee comprised Krishnakant Vakharia, president of VGS; Shambhubhai Patel, chairman of Surat-based Suruchi Trust; P K Laheri, former chief secretary of the state; and Dr Sudarshan Ayengar, vice-chanceller of Gujarat Vidyapith. He said nominee for the award was chosen from among the names received from the Gujarati samaj, MPs and MLAs, and many Gujarati organisations.
Shah said the selection committee found that Dholakia, who had held the coveted post of speaker of the state assembly, has an impeccable record of public life.
He said the VGS was formed long back with the late chief minister, Hitendra Desai, being its chief patron. It mainly worked for bringing Gujaratis spread world over under one umbrella. He said it had its chapter in almost all parts of the globe - wherever Gujaratis lived.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}