Amidst trials and triumphs, up and downs, the Essel Awards initiative has successfully completed one year and five months in Karnataka, winning accolades from all quarters.
When the Chairman of Essel Group and Zee Network, Subhash Chandra mooted the idea of a monthly award to recognise contributions by individuals and institutions in different fields, many scoffed. Critics declared that the initiative would fall flat. But proving all detractors wrong, the initiative not only took off, but also completed its full cycle.
Launched in January 2007, the first in the series of Awards was dedicated to legislators. Over 100 of the 300 legislators were nominated for the Award, and over 80 thousand votes were recorded. The second best response was recorded in July 2007 when the Ministers of Karnataka were awarded. Considering that a decision to launch the Awards was taken only two months earlier, it was an uphill task to verify the antecedents of all the nominees under all categories before placing them before the Jury.
The Jury headed by Justice M F Saldhana selected five winners under different categories. The final choice was left to the people of Karnataka. Congress MLA Shivananda Patil, who turned the face of the State’s most backward constituency Basavana-Bagewadi was selected by the people as Karnataka’s Best Legislator.
Barely, did the first event end when it was time to begin preparations for the second event. The second Award was devoted to Sports. A new set of Jury headed by a retired judge was appointed, a massive hunt was launched for talent from across the State, and an eminent panel short-listed 15 nominees, of which five winners were selected by the Jury.
This process is repeated month after month—appointment of a Jury comprising well known people from the respective field, a State-wide search for deserving nominees, verification of nominations, scrutiny by the Jury and the final selection by the people. The Awards’ ceremonies are held every month.
“The initial months were tough as I was the only person handling the initiative. In due course, I was joined by Surabhi Shastry, followed by Shruthi Rao and Madhusudan V. and for a short while by Gajanana Hegde. This dedicated team is responsible for the success of the Awards,” says Gautham Machaiah who is spearheading the initiative.
The other award categories were Bureaucrats (March), Social Workers (April), Police (May), Legal service (June), Ministers (July), Entrepreneurs (August), Medicine (September), Media (October), Art and Culture (November) and Television (December). After successfully completing one year, Essel Awards continued to roll on to the year 2008 and again honoured young political leaders in January, Sportsmen in February, Bureaucrats in March, NGOs in April and Legal Services in May.
The selection process is so broad based that the winners are a mix of youth and experience, besides representing urban and rural areas. For instance, the Sports Award went to Savitha Goud, the daughter of a vegetable vendor from rural Jamkandhi who won the National Cycling Championship on a borrowed cycle.
The initiative has drawn appreciation from all sections. “Chairman Subhash Chandra deserves kudos for launching this initiative. This will instil a sense of pride in the youth and help build a strong India,” notes one of the Essel Awardees, Captain G. R. Gopinath, Vice-Chairman of Kingfisher Airlines.
The success of the initiative is gauged from the fact that the ministers award received over five lakh votes, creating a record of sorts in Karnataka, where the people’s apathy towards SMS voting is well known.
“The aim of the Essel Awards is to celebrate significant contributions to the society and thereby act as a catalyst in igniting young minds and awakening dormant senses, in order to motivate them to build a vibrant and resurgent India,” Chairman Subhash Chandra sums up.
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