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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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
