Shaikha AJ Al aSabah, a Yoga practitioner from Kuwait, is also among those awarded Padma Shri. She had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Kuwait visit last month. | File photo
Kuwaiti Yoga practitioner, dhak player, fruit farmer among Padma awardees
The Union government announced the names of 30 unsung heroes who were awarded Padma Shri on the eve of the Republic Day
A 100-year old freedom fighter from Goa, a Dhak player from West Bengal who trained 150 women in the male-dominated field and India's first woman puppeteers are among 30 unsung heroes who were awarded Padma Shri, a government statement said on Saturday (January 25).
Libia Lobo Sardesai, who played an important role in Goa's freedom movement, co-founded an underground radio station -- 'Voz da Liberdabe (Voice of Freedom)' -- in a forested area in 1955 to rally people against the Portuguese rule. She has been awarded the Padma Shri by the President on the occasion of 76th Republic Day.
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Also among the awardees is Gokul Chandra Dey, a 57-year-old Dhak player from West Bengal who broke the gender stereotype by training 150 women in the male-dominated field.
Dey also created a lightweight Dhak type, 1.5 kg less than the conventional instrument, and represented India at various international platforms and performed with Maestros like Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Zakir Hussain.
A vocal advocate of woman empowerment, 82-year old Sally Holkar transformed once dying Maheshwari craft and founded Handloom school in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh, to give training in traditional weaving techniques.
Born in America and inspired by Rani Ahilyabai Holkar's legacy, she devoted five decades of her life to revitalise 300-year-old weaving legacy. She has also been awarded Padma Shri.
Also among the awardees are Shaikha AJ Al aSabah, a Yoga practitioner from Kuwait, travel blogger couple Hugh and Colleen Gantzer from Uttarakhand, Nagaland fruit farmer L Hangthing, instrumentalist P Datchanamoorthy from Puducherry and Marathi author Maruti Bhujangrao Chitampalli.
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Vilas Dangre, Venkappa Ambaji Sugatekar, Hariman Sharma, Jumde Yomgam Gamlin, Naren Gurung, and Jagdish Joshila, Batool Begum, Pandi Ram Mandavi, Nirmala Devi are the other-noted personalities who have been announced to be the recipients of Padma Shri.
The awards are generally announced on the eve of Republic Day every year. The awards are presented in various disciplines, like public affairs, science and engineering, social work, medicine, literature, sports, civil services, etc.
(With agency inputs)