Bhatkal: The 70th Kannada Rajyotsava was celebrated with great enthusiasm and grandeur in Bhatkal, during which individuals who showed outstanding performance in their respective fields, including SahilOnline Managing Editor Inayatullah Gawai, were felicitated.
Others who were also honoured included Uday Prabhu and Aditya Manjunath Devadiga in music, Durgappa Annappa Gonda in folk art, M.D. Pakki and Sudarshan B. Naik in literature, and Vasudev Pujari in sports.
The celebration began at the premises of the Taluk Administration Building (Mini Vidhana Soudha), where officials paid floral tribute to Goddess Bhuvaneshwari, the symbolic deity of Karnataka. Bhatkal Tahsildar Nagendra Kolashetti flagged off a rally of school students, which proceeded towards the Taluk Stadium in Nawayath Colony (YMSA Ground), the main venue of the event.
At the stadium, the National Flag was hoisted, followed by the rendition of the National Anthem and the Kannada Anthem.
Addressing the gathering, Tahsildar Kolashetti highlighted the linguistic and cultural history of Karnataka. He said the day marks the unity and pride of Kannada-speaking people and urged citizens to adopt Kannada in their daily lives. He emphasized that language is not only a means of communication but also a reflection of identity, dignity, and solidarity, stressing that promoting Kannada should be seen as a shared social responsibility.
Gangadhar Naik, President of Kannada Sahitya Parishad, delivered a detailed lecture on the Kannada language and its regional significance, while Shreedhar Shet, a Kannada teacher and poet, compered the program. Marukeri Gram Panchayat Vice President M.D. Naik urged parents to promote Kannada by enrolling their children in Kannada-medium schools instead of English-medium institutions.
The event began with a welcome address by Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer Sunil M., and concluded with a vote of thanks by Block Education Officer (BEO) Venkatesh Naik.
Prominent among those present were Bhatkal TMC Chief Officer Venkatesh Nauda, Jali Pattan Panchayat Chief Officer Manjappa, Bhatkal Rural CPI Manjunath Linga Reddy, Jali Pattan Panchayat President Afsha Qazia, Horticulture Officer Shravan Kumar, Assistant Director of Fisheries Department Renuka Swamy, Karnataka Government Employees Association (Bhatkal Unit) President M.N. Naik, Women and Child Development Officer Sushila Moger, councillors Fayaz Mulla and Irshad Banu, along with several teachers, officials, and local dignitaries.
SahilOnline Editor honoured
During the event, SahilOnline Managing Editor Inayatullah Gawai was honoured for his long and dedicated service to journalism. It was noted that he began his career in 1990 at the age of 18 with the renowned daily Salar of Bangalore and has been actively working for social reform and public awareness for the past 35 years.
He has written reports and articles for leading dailies, weeklies, and monthlies including Inquilab, Rashtriya Sahara, and Siasat. When the internet was newly introduced in 1998, he launched Bhatkal News, the first online news portal from Karnataka, followed by the establishment of SahilOnline in 2000 — which has since become a prominent and reliable news platform. He is currently associated with several reputed newspapers, including the Urdu daily Aaj Ka Inquilab published from Shivamogga. His aim is to inform the people of Bhatkal and Coastal Karnataka about regional realities and to foster communal harmony and brotherhood, for which he continues to strive.