KASARGOD: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Karnataka counterpart Siddaramaiah jointly inaugurated the ‘Gilivindu’ project built in memory of Rashtra Kavi Govinda Pai at Manjeshwaram on Thursday. Mr Vijayan inaugurated the Govinda Pai memorial centre and Mr Siddaramaiah unveiled the Bhavanika auditorium inside the Gilivindu. Both the CMs offered all assistance for the project and Mr Siddaramaiah announced Rs 1 crore for the follow-up work.
Mr Vijayan said that Pai’s work would provide light in times of cultural chaos. “Govinda Pai’s secular leanings could be fathomed from his works on Sri Krishna, Sri Buddha, Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad,” he noted. He added that those who underestimate the Father of the Nation should go through the works of Pai. The Karnataka CM termed Pai as one who conferred motherly status on Kannada language and literature.
Karnataka Culture Minister Umashree unveiled the bust of Pai. Karnataka minister B. Ramanath Rai opend the Yakshagana auditorium and Kerala Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan inaugurated the Yakshagana museum. Karnataka minister Abhay Chandra Jain, P.B. Abdul Rasak MLA, Dr M. Veerappa Moily and collector K. Jeevan Babu among others spoke.
