Rajasthan Ratna, Padma Shri awardees felicitated
Tuesday, April 25, 2012: On the evening of April 24th I organized a felicitation reception for Rajasthan Ratna Awardees 2012 and Padma Shri recipients of the year.
Padma Shri Lakshmi Kumari Chundawat, Padma Shri Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Padma Shri Vijaydan Detha along with Padma Shri recipients for the year 2012 Shri Devendra Jhajrija, Shri Limba Ram, Shri Mohan Lal Kumhar, Shri Sakar Khan Manganiar, Shri Swapan Guha, were on the same platform created by the Rajasthan National Forum with all the artistes of the desert state on board.
I had initiated this event and Mr H M Bangur, Managing Director, Shree Cements Ltd, and Co-chairman of Rajasthan National Forum, was kind enough to host this gala function.
All the five Padma Shri awardeesof 2012 attended the function, but two of the Rajasthan Ratna awardees, Padma Shri Lakshmi Kumari Chundawat and Padma Shri Vijaydan Detha could not attend due to health reasons. Shri C P Deval, who is also a Padma Shri recipient and a relative of Vijaydan Detha, attended the function on his behalf.
Lakshmi Kumari Chundawat’s son and daughter were there on her behalf. Laxmi Kumari is currently 96-year-old. She had joined the Indian National Congress and also been a member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly and the Rajya Sabha. She had won Padma Shri in 1984 for her contribution to Rajasthani literature.
The felicitation gathering was attended by the state’s leading artistes, bureaucrats and industrialists. Everybody seemed happy and elated since this was the first time that the Government of Rajasthan had announced and conferred the Rajasthan Ratna Award that was followed up by a felicitation function.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was scheduled to attend the function but could not as he got stuck in Mumbai. His son Vaibhav Gehlot attended as did other politicians cutting across party lines.
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