When the second World Kannada Meet begins on Friday, it will turn a new chapter in the history of Belgaum. As thousands assemble at the Veera Soudha Udyana to participate in a procession, it will be reminiscent of the 39th session of the Indian National Congress of 1924. What stands as a testimony to the glorious past of the place are Veera Soudha (a memorial) and Pampa Sarovar, a well dug up to supply water to the delegates of the session. The well continues to serve people of Belgaum even after 25 years.
The INC session held between December 26 and 28 was significant not just because Belgaum played host, but because of the impetus it gave to the freedom struggle. It was the only session chaired by Mahatma Gandhi, who showed great respect to the land by touching its soil immediately after landing here. It was here that the Mahatma adopted the “non-violent and non-cooperation’’ means to attain political freedom.
After saluting the martyrs, the procession on Friday will pay tribute to queen Rani Channamma at Channamma Circle. In 1824, Kittur Rani Channamma, with her valiant fight against the British, had inspired hundreds of Indians. She had paved the way for the first struggle for Indian Independence in the Sepoy Mutiny in 1858. In the last leg, the procession showcasing the rich and vibrant culture and tradition of Karnataka will reach the district stadium, the main venue of the Sammelana named after Rani Channamma.
At the magnificent stage depicting the grandeur of Belur and Halebid, the Kannadiga who has put Karnataka on the world map, Infosys mentor N R Narayana Murthy, will inaugurate the event. What follows till Sunday night would be an unbridled treat.
PAYBACK TIME FOR NRKs
Non-resident Kannadigas (NRKs) now have a chance to give something back to their state, which they left for better prospects. Tugging at the emotional chords of such people, the state government has drawn up a voluntary scheme called ‘My language-My state’ under which NRKs can contribute for the language and development of the state. “We will not force anyone to do anything but we will certainly not hesitate if they (NRKs) have anything to do for the language or the land,’’ said event manager and Belgaum district minister Umesh V Katti. NRKs can enjoy a package tour of one of the regions of Karnataka, free of cost, courtesy the tourism department. Of the 300 NRKs invited by the government, only 131 have confirmed their participation. Most of them reside in the US, UK and the Gulf. Prominent among them is Amaranath Gowda, leading lawyer in the US. He is the first foreign lawyer to be licensed in Michigan by the Michigan Board of Law Examiners as special legal consultant on the laws of India (1988). Lambeth mayor Neeraj Patil will also participate. PLEASANT POWER PROMISE
Promising a 24x7 uninterrupted power supply, Hubli-Electricity Supply Company(HESCOM) has decided not to let power shortage affect the World Kannada Meet. “We will supply an additional 20 Mega WTs on all three days. We are not taking any chance. We have set up a team of engineers and assistant engineers to attend to emergencies,” said Pankajkumar Pandey, managing director, Hescom. “We have installed an additional eight 250kv transformers and two 100 KV transformers with additional lines for power supply,” he said. In case of power problems, people can call chief engineer Rajappa on 0831-2478166 or 9448370252. TRUCK-LAG FOR A TUSKER
After a tiring journey of 24 hours, one of the three Dasara elephants brought from Nagarahole forest took ill on Thursday. Elephants Balarama, Krishna and Sudha boarded truck on Monday night and en route, they were fed sugarcane. On reaching Belgaum on Tuesday night, Krishna had a stomach upset. However, all the three elephants participated in the mock procession held on Thursday. WITH LOVE, FROM MAHARASHTRA
They are young, spirited and have a mission. Athletes from Maharashtra participated in the Run for Peace marathon in Belgaum on Thursday, sending a strong message to the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi leaders that they are least affected by the border issue, which is often raised by MES. AISHWARYA RAI IS COMING
District minister Umesh Katti, Sammelana special officer Vittala Murthy and Belgaum deputy commisisoner Ekroop Kaur on Thursday night said that Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai will arrive in Belgaum by a special chartered flight around 2.40 pm to attend the meet. Earlier in the day, there were speculations that Rai had declined the invitation due to a threat from Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray. KUNDA-GIRI IS AT ITS BEST
Sweet traders in Belgaum are elated as they are ready to cater to two lakh visitors. Topping the list of desired sweets is kunda, which has given Belgaum the nickname Kundanagari (the city of kunda). The sweet rich in khova and milk was first made by Raghunath Joshi from Rajasthan over a century ago. “Kunda happened by accident. Once milk was overboiled and took a solid form. My great-grandfather Jaikishan Raghunath Joshi added sugar to it. It turned out to be a delicacy,’’ said Kamalkishore Gajanan Joshi, owner of Gajanan Mithaiwala, the first sweet shop in Belgaum. NUMBERS ON YOUR PALATE This is what the state government has purchased to feed about 3 lakh people attending the three-day World Kannada Meet
• 12 lakh plates
• 3 lakh crisp rotis
• 550 quintal of rice
• 100 quintal dal
• 150 quintals of onion
• 65 quintal brinjal
• 3,750 kg kunda
• 15,100 litres of milk
• 14,300 kg curds
• 1,520 kg ghee
• 600 coconut
• 2 lakh banana
• 480 kg of grapes
• 1,608 pomegranates
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