Padma Shri awardee Amai Mahalinga Naik was felicitated during Gaddige, a convention of Marati Naik community, held at Moodbidri on Sunday.
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Mangaluru: Minister for Social Welfare, H C Mahadevappa, assured that the government is committed to addressing the legitimate demands of the Marati community within the framework of the Constitution and law.
Speaking at the inauguration of the 'Gaddige,' a meet of Marati Naik community, held at the Alvas College Auditorium in Moodbidri on Sunday, he stated that efforts would be made to bring the Chief Minister's attention to the demands and fulfil them.
He emphasised that elected representatives should focus on implementing the aspirations of the Constitution and work beyond politics. "Economic stability is possible through education. The government's Guarantee Scheme is a boon for those economically backward without political motive," he added.
MLA Umanath Kotian assured to make an effort at the government level to fulfill the community’s rightful demands.
Alva’s Education Foundation Chairman Dr M Mohan Alva released the souvenir 'Gaddige'. He pointed out that the Marati community, which migrated from Maharashtra, constitutes about 6.9% of Karnataka’s population. "The Marati community, known for their pride and hard work, should be motivated to be active in society through such convention," he said.
H Rajesh Prasad, Principal Secretary to Jammu Kashmir government emphasised the need for more focus on education to uplift the Marati community, which remains backward even after seven decades of independence. "Through education, we can rise to greater heights," he said.
Former Minister K Abhaychandra Jain, entrepreneur Shashidhar Shetty Barodu, Padma Shri awardee Amai Mahalinga Naik, convention honorary president Dr Sundar Naik and others were present.
The event saw discussions on key topics such as Marati culture, language preservation, and community issues. Dr Mohan Alva spoke on education and youth development, lawyer N S Manjunath discussed Marati values and culture, physical education teacher Rathi Prabhakar Naik addressed the topic of preserving and promoting the Marati language, and lawyer Praveen Kumar spoke about the challenges and issues facing the community.