Mangaluru: Civic Honor for Dr. Ronald Colaco on Feb 24
He will be felicitated for receiving Certificate of Excellence from World Book of Records London
Mangaluru: Prominent NRI Entrepreneur and philanthropist Dr. Ronald Colaco will be felicitated on Friday, February 24, at the Father Muller Convention Center here in the city for receiving the Certificate of Excellence from the World Book of Records London.
The civic honor will be bestowed on behalf of the citizens of Mangaluru for his recent feat of receiving a certificate of excellence from the World Book of Records London in recognition of his social and charitable works.
The felicitation committee led by President JR Lobo, former Mangaluru MLA released a press statement regarding the ceremony adding that the ceremony will be presided by Most Rev. Dr. Peter Machado, Arch Bishop of Bangalore Diocese while Padma Vibhushana Dr. D Veerendra Heggade will be present as the Chief Guest of the event.
Most Rev. Dr. Peter Paul Saldanha, Bishop, Mangalore Diocese, Swami Jitakamanandaji Maharaj, President Ramakrishna Math, Mangalore, Dr. Yenepoya Abdul Kunhi, Chancellor, Yenepoya University, Most Rev. Dr. Geralad Isaac Lobo, Bishop Udupi Diocese, Rt Rev. Hemachandra Kumar, Bishop, CSI Karnataka Southern Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Lawrence Mukkuzhy, Bishop Belthangady Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Francis Serrao, Bishop Shimoga Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Henry D’Souza, Bishop Bellary Diocese, UT Khader, Mangalore MLA, Dr. N Binaya Hegde, President, NITTE Education Trust, Chancellor, NITTE Deemed University, Dr. M Mohan Alva, Chairman, Alvas Education Foundation, Dr. Shantaram Shetty, Chairman, Tejaswini Hospital, Rajayogini BK Vishweshwari, In-Charge Brahma Kumari Centre, Mangalore, Maladi Ajith Kumar Rai, President Buntara Yane Nadavara Mathr Sangha, and Rajshkar Kotian, President Rastriya Billawara Maha Mandala will be present as the guests of honor during the event.
“Dr. Ronald Colaco is the proud son of the soil of Karnataka, the Pride of Mangalore. He is a man who dons many hats with equal ease. Despite tasting success in business at a young age he continued his close association with his motherland through his philanthropic activities. It is a matter of great pride for all Kannadigas that our own Ronald Colaco has excelled in business, philanthropy, and humanitarian activities over three decades,” the press statement added.
“His Philanthropic and charitable activities transcend all barriers of religion, language, caste, creed, and gender. Institutions and individuals have benefitted alike from his social and charitable acts.” It further added.
Apart from President JR Lobo, the felicitation committee also has UT Iftikhar Ali, Ivan D’Souza, Rohan Monteiro, Louis J Pinto, Suresh Ballal, Walter Nandalike, and Dr. Kerry Vincent Dias as the vice presidents of the committee while Austin Peres is the General Secretary and Denis D’Silva is the convenor of the ceremony.
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Bangladesh High Court refuses to ban ISKCON
Dhaka, Nov 28: Bangladesh High Court Thursday rejected a petition seeking a ban on ISKCON's activities in the country, days after a lawyer was killed in a clash between security personnel and supporters of a Hindu leader, previously linked to the religious group.
A lawyer had sought a ban on the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) after placing some newspaper reports related to the organisation on Wednesday.
"The two-member High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Debashish Roy Chowdhury on Thursday declined to ban the ISKCON activities in Bangladesh," a spokesman of the attorney general's office said.
He said the bench made the decision after the attorney general's office submitted a report on the action taken by the government regarding the death of assistant government prosecutor Saiful Islam Alif in the northeastern port city of Chattogram earlier this week.
Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachary, arrested earlier this week, was sent to jail by a Chattogram court on sedition charges, sparking a violent protest during which advocate Alif was killed. Chinmoy was earlier expelled from ISKCON.
"Right at this moment, the situation does not warrant the intervention of the (High) court as the State is carrying out its job (regarding the matter),” Justice Mahbub was quoted as saying by the spokesman.
The decision came a day after Attorney-General Mohammad Asaduzzaman urged the court not to take any decisions on the ISKCON issue as the government has started taking the required action.
Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque and Deputy Attorney General Asad Uddin informed the bench that three separate cases have been filed in connection with the murder of the lawyer and ISKCON's activities, and 33 accused have been arrested in these cases.
The bench then hoped that the government would remain cautious about protecting the law and order situation and the lives and properties of the people of Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, ISKCON Bangladesh refuted allegations linking the organisation to the lawyer's killing, saying the claims were baseless and part of a malicious campaign.
"A series of false, fabricated, and malicious campaigns is being spearheaded targeting ISKCON Bangladesh, particularly in connection with recent events. These efforts are aimed at discrediting our organisation and creating societal unrest," general secretary of the organization Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari said.
Speaking at a press conference at the organisation’s head office, he said ISKCON Bangladesh was never involved in "communal or conflict-driven activities and will continue to promote unity and harmony".
"We have already clarified the matter multiple times through press conferences and official communications with the government and administrative authorities. Regrettably, certain groups continue to deliberately spread false propaganda against our organisation and make unreasonable demands, such as banning ISKCON," Das said.
He said that Chinmoy was previously expelled from the organisation along with two others for violating its rules and none of their activities were connected to ISKCON.
ISKCON Bangladesh President Satya Ranjan Baroi also spoke at the press conference, saying their organisation was dedicated to communal harmony, religious tolerance, and the welfare of humanity and “the allegations are an attempt to tarnish our religious and social reputation".
Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum on Thursday staged a protest in front of the Supreme Court Bar, protesting the lawyer's killing and demanding the ban on ISKCON.
The group is regarded as the lawyers’ wing of ex-premier Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement, which led the mass upheaval to oust deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s regime on August 5, also demanded the ban on ISKCON.
Separately, a group of Supreme Court lawyers sent a legal notice to the Bangladesh government on Wednesday seeking the ban on ISKCON describing it as a “radical organisation.”
India on Tuesday noted with “deep concern” Chinmoy's arrest and denial of bail and urged Dhaka to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all other minority groups.
Earlier, the ISKCON had urged the Bangladesh authorities to promote "peaceful coexistence" for Hindus in the country as it "strongly" denounced the arrest of the Hindu leader.
Chinmoy, the spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested from Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday as he was about to fly to Chattogram to join a rally.
He was denied bail and sent to jail by the Chattogram’s Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate court in a sedition case on Tuesday.
