Kathak legend Kumudini Lakhia passes away
Ahmedabad, Apr 12 (PTI): Eminent Kathak exponent and choreographer Kumudini Lakhia passed away at her residence in Ahmedabad on Saturday at the age of 95 due to an age-related ailment.
Lakhia was conferred with the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award, on the Republic Day this year in recognition of her lifelong dedication to Kathak.
"Kumudiniben passed away at her home in Ahmedabad at around 11 am. She was 95 and suffering from some age-related ailment for the last three months," said Parul Thakore, administrator of Kadamb Centre for Dance and Music that Lakhia founded here in 1964.
Born on May 17, 1930, in Ahmedabad, Lakhia went on to become a celebrated Indian Kathak dancer and choreographer. At Kadamb Centre, she developed technique, vocabulary and repertoire of Kathak dance.
She also worked as a choreographer in Hindi film "Umrao Jaan" (1981), among others.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to her and said her passion towards Kathak and Indian classical dances were reflected in her remarkable work over the years.
"Deeply saddened by the passing of Kumudini Lakhia ji, who made a mark as an outstanding cultural icon. Her passion towards Kathak and Indian classical dances was reflected in her remarkable work over the years," Modi said in on social media platform X.
"A true pioneer, she also nurtured generations of dancers. Her contributions will continue to be cherished. Condolences to her family, students and admirers. Om Shanti," he added.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also expressed grief over her demise, and described her "pride of Gujarat and India in the field of classical art".
"She trained many disciples in classical dance and exhibited the glory of Kathak dance in the country and the world. May God grant peace to her soul and give strength to her relatives and countless disciples and admirers to bear this grief. Om Shanti," he posted on X.
Lakhia won numerous prestigious awards such as Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Kalidas Samman, and Gaurav Puraskar from the Gujarat government in recognition of her contribution to the world of Indian dance.
She started doing choreography in 1973 with a small group of students and her endeavour was to transform the presentation of Kathak dance with innovative ways for contemporary expression.
She also presented lectures on 'creativity and performance in dance' at universities in India, USA, and Europe. She learned from various gurus and was also trained under Shambhu Maharaj at the Bharatiya Kala Kendra on a scholarship from the Indian government.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
