This day
64 years ago, a cute little baby called the Karnataka State came into being.
If ‘bubbling enthusiasm’ was the
hallmark of yesterday’s celebration, guess the pomp and spelndour the birth of
the State must have attracted.
Now at
64 the State, with no territorial annexation whatsoever, happens to be the
largest State in southern India. And in a three to five-minute rendition, each
singer today encapsulated how bountiful the State is with rivers, mountains, intellectuals,
agricultural produce, and what have you.
It was
very thoughtful of the organizers to give the flag-hoisting honour jointly to
Mr Pramod Krishna and Mr Rattan Mittal as a token recognition of their service
in clearing the total messy legacy that Diwali firecrackers had left behind as
a parting gift. Also the duo received a token gift from the Association. Can
there be any better way to accord recognition to such selfless services? Kudos organizers.
From the
very beginning it appeared to be an Elders’ Day Out. The most enthusiastic Madam
Sita had already taken a vantage point for the invocation. Immaculately dressed,
as always, she enjoys a knack to carry herself majestically.
In the
closing ceremony too one could see many elderly ladies and gentlemen clamouring
for turn to render a song or two impromptu to drive home, rightfully, how each
one felt proud to be part of Karnataka.
Too bad,
the timing of the ceremony denied many ladies the privilege to participate, what
with their life centered round the arrival and departure of domestic helps. Regardless
those who turned up were sparkling, attired in the pre-announced red and yellow
combinations (the colour of Karnataka State flag).
For me
personally, these renderings, as also the subsequent quiz competition, helped
me to know how many rivers flow in Karnataka, what are the State’s main
agricultural produce, whether coffee or coconut production takes centre-stage, who
founded the Vijayanagara empire or, which Kannadiga was the first recipient of
Bharat Ratna. Simply put, infotainment filled the day. Net result? I am fully
geared to answer all questions next year and grab most of the chocolate bars.
What
stood head and shoulders above the rest in the quiz programme, as Mr
Chandrashekar, of the Cultural Sub Committee who compered the show highlighted,
was that the first Chief Minister of Karnataka, one Mr Reddy, was not a
Kannadiga, to drive home the State’s all-embracing nature.
Speaking
of Mr Chandrashekar, he pepped up liveliness to the show by being at his
elemental best at the mike, donning a sparkling lime-yellow steam-pressed
kurta. At one stage I felt like walking up to him and ask him, “By the way, sir,
where did you buy this from? Simply fabulous.” But that would be bad manners, I
felt.
Any write-up
on SFV celebrations will be incomplete without a word about Pulkit, an ‘Old Guard’
security staff. He has become a permanent fixture for SFV functions. He played two songs in his flute. Watch out
Pulkit, your flute might blissfully be obeying your commands. But there are
others waiting on the wings. Mahadev, SFV’s Man Friday (whom I challenge if
anybody has spotted without his cap), and Surya Nayak, Garden Supervisor, are
making a foray through other doors with their vocal chords.
Side by
side, the pay and eat food counters did brisk business proving beyond doubt
that, complimentary or compensatory, long queues have come to stay in SFV at
such events.
To
conclude, again, what takes the cake?
The live and let live spirit that was apparent in participation from all
sections of the society, the all-embracing culture ingrained in the State as Mr
Chandrashekar highlighted, or that no service is too trivial for recognition as
proved by the Association?
NOTA
(None Of The Above)? No, never. Or, AOT (All Of Them)? Yes, and many more.
By the
way, yesterday’s event is only a curtain raiser. Stay tuned for 23 November for
SFV’s magnum opus, Rajyotsava. Alas, I will miss it, visiting Golden Temple in
Amritsar, Brindavan in Mathura and setting foot again in my ‘bread-earner’
city, Delhi, to get a feel of it.