The Seagram’s 100 Pipers Pure Music CDs presented True Legends Awards 2016 Odisha, in association with The Telegraph, to 12 individuals for showing the courage to veer off the beaten track and serve mankind. The 12 awardees were honoured in Bhubaneswar on Friday. As they shared their inspiring stories of sacrifice, struggle and achievement, it left an indelible mark on those present at the award ceremony. The award was a token of appreciation for the difficult path they chose to tread with a single-minded mission to serve the people and their chosen fields 

True legends are successful people who lead a positive change on society. The True Legends awards recognise and felicitate successful personalities who have risen above the material pursuits of success, and believe in giving back to humanity. Each True Legends story is very inspiring and will forever be remembered for good

Kartik Mohindra
business head, international brands, Pernod Ricard India 

Tulasi Munda
social activist

Munda has worked to spread literacy among the tribal people. She is credited to have used education as a tool to change the future of hundreds of tribal children, who would have otherwise become daily labourer in the mines. Munda had started her life as a daily labourer in one of the mines of the state. In 2001, the government recognised her contributions to the society by conferring on her the Padma Shri. In 2011, Munda won the Odisha Living Legend Award for social service.

Shortly after receiving the award Munda said: “Working towards the society may be difficult and full of struggles, but it brings a purpose to life. We need many more people to take up the issues of tribals and the underprivileged.”
Chairman and managing director, Mahanadi Coalfields Limited, Anil Kumar Jha, handed over the award to Munda.

Pravasini Pradhan
HIV/AIDS activist

Pradhan works for the rights and well-being of the HIV positive people in the state. An HIV positive person herself, she fought social stigma and formed the Kalinga Network for People Living with HIV/AIDS (KNP+) in 2006. Today, the organisation is making a difference in the lives of the HIV Positive people and their families through its various centres located across the state. In our state, where families and friends do not easily accept people with HIV, the KNP+ has even managed to arrange the marriage of at least three HIV+ couples, one of who was recently blessed with a baby girl who tested negative for the disease.

“Being an HIV positive person, I have endured the society’s mistreatment. Hence, I will keep working to spread awareness that like me any person with AIDS can lead a normal life if others co-operate,” she said.
Founder and managing director of Inthink Knowledge Ventures, Kalyan Kar, presented the award to Pradhan.

Malati Murmu 
journalist

Murmu has woven the Santhalis together through the country’s first newspaper for the tribe - Fagun - of which she is the founding editor and publisher. Murmu, who hails from Mayurbhanj and has done her matriculation in Santhali, got the idea of putting together a publication in her native language when four tribal languages - Santhali, Bodo, Maithili and Dogri - were recognised and included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution in 2003.
Speaking about her effort, Murmu said: “Preserving a language is as important as preserving the identity of an entire community. We can all make efforts to save our languages and even small efforts with consistency will pay off.”

Special secretary IT, government of Odisha, Rudra Narayan Palai handed over the award to Murmu.

D. Prakash Rao
social activist

Rao has brought about a change in the lives of kids living in slums of Cuttack by imparting education among them. In 2000, Rao started teaching slum children at his home in Cuttack. Now, the school has 60 students studying till Class III. When the kids pass Class III examinations, Rao takes the pains to register their names in government schools for the next class. Rao, who sells tea for a living and fund the education of kids, has received many awards and allocations at both state and national levels. 

Emphasising the need for spreading education, Rao said: “Until we start working for the uplift of such children, nothing much will change. Each of us can make a difference.” 

Director, advertising, ABP Pvt. Ltd. Chandan Majumdar handed over the award to Rao.

Kishore Mania
cricket coach

Mania, considered the Ramakant Achrekar of Odisha, is a legendary figure in the history of the state’s cricket. His decades of dedicated work has produced great cricket players for the state, including national players such as fast bowler Debashis Mohanty, all-rounder Ranjib Biswal and test-match opener Shiv Sundar Das. This award is an acknowledgement of his 35-year-long contribution to grooming hundreds of cricketers of Odisha at both the state and national levels.

Talking about his contribution to the game, he said: “Sports are essential for the growth of a person. Many relate it to only physical growth, but really sports can enhance the overall personality of an individual. It is the duty of coaches to ensure that.”

Zonal marketing manager Pernod Ricard, Inderjit Singh, presented the award to Mania.

Raghunath Mohapatra
sculptor

Mohapatra, a noted architect and sculptor, was awarded the Padma Shri in 1975, the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2013. Mohapatra has thoroughly studied the different patterns of temple design. He has been serving as a senior instructor and the superintendent of handicraft training & designing centre of the government of Odisha since 1963.

Spiritual to the core, he said: “As a devotee of Lord Jagannath, I am always thankful for his blessings. I have been continuing my family’s traditional craft and the accolades came my way on their own. If one works with sincerity the rest will be taken care of.”

Director (finance) of Nalco, K.C. Samal, handed over the award to Mohapatra.

Prasanta Kumar Bhuyan
disability rights activist

Bhuyan works for the uplift of the disabled. The president of the Odisha Association for the Blind, Bhuyan formulates projects for the disabled and implements and supervises those. He also organised several seminars and workshops on disability welfare. By profession, he is an assistant professor at the department of humanities and social sciences at the Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, New Delhi.

Defining his role in society, the professor said: “I’m visually challenged and when people tell me how well I am serving and helping disabled, I wish to say I am serving myself through my work. My work towards disabled enriches me.”

Pradip Jena, who is the IT secretary of the government of Odisha, presented the award to Bhuyan.

Pradeep Kumar Pradhan
social activist

Pradhan is the national working committee member of the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information. He has also been nominated a member of the core advisory group of the National Human Rights Commission. He is also the state convenor for the Right to Food Campaign, Odisha. He has exposed several cases of starvation death and malnutrition in the Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput region. Over the last 10 years, he has made several policy-related suggestions to both the state and the central governments to check starvation and ensure effective and transparent implementation of food security programmes. 

Talking about his campaign, Pradhan said: “Food is a basic right in our Constitution but even after six decades it is not available to many. I request everyone to think before wasting food and join in to solve the issue of hunger and malnutrition.” 

Rajat Ganguly, who is the regional head, east, Dell, handed over the award to Pradhan.

Bidyut Mohanty
social activist

Mohanty is the head of the Society for Promoting Rural Education and Development (SPREAD). He has formed a grain bank to help farmers get over indebtedness. He is working mainly in the Nandapur and Lamtaput blocks of Koraput district, which are inhabited mainly by tribals displaced during the construction of Machhkund dam in 1956. SPREAD has now set up about 200 grain banks in Koraput giving the ‘sahukars’ a tough time in running their 
business.

Speaking about his effort, Mohanty said: “Rural development needs the innovation of the youth but with sensibility of the requirements of the people in rural areas. I wish more people support the idea of grain banks to help development of rural people.”

I. Raj Sekhar, state head Odisha of Pernod Ricard, gave the award to Mohanty. 

Madhu Behera
bird conservationist

Behera works in Mangalajodi, which is located on the northwest of the Chilika lake and known as a village of bird catchers. He has formed an NGO — Wild Odisha — to stop poaching of migratory birds that come to the lake every winter. He also helped form the Sri Sri Mahavir Pakshi Suraksha Samiti in 2000. In 2007, the state government awarded the Biju Patnaik Award for Wildlife Conservation to the samiti.

Defining his role, Behera said: “With the disappearance of a large number of birds, the entire ecosystem is getting disturbed. There should be more information in school syllabi about the importance of bird and animal conservation to help our future generations become environment friendly.”

Aditya Mohapatra, who is the deputy secretary IT government of Odisha, presented the award to Behera.

Sanata Kumar Panda
farmer

Panda has become a role model for millions of farmers in the country. He has also worked for the empowerment of farmers in the state. His contribution to agriculture has been recognised by several organisations in the state. He received the OTV Odisha Citizens’ Award 2015.

Talking about his pioneering role, he said: “Farming is being thought of as a lowly occupation today, which is sad because India will always remain a farmers’ country. Hopefully youngsters will understand the value of farming and agriculture and media can play a vital role in reviving it.”

Pradip Jena, who is the IT secretary of the government of Odisha, presented the award to Panda. 

Sudarsan Patnaik
sand artist

Patnaik, a world famous sand sculptor, virtually needs no introduction in his native state. He first took to sand art by sculpting structures on the beach when he was only seven. A brand ambassador of the National Aluminium Company, known as Nalco, Patnaik received the Padma Shri in 2014. He is the founder of the Golden Sand Art Institute. His sculptures portray environmental crisis, famous festivals, national integrity and religious tolerance.
Speaking about his growing years, Patnaik said: “All I am today is because of the effort of my mother who brought me up single-handedly and gave me the freedom to pursue my art. I’m glad today sand art is globally popular. I hope the world knows it has been an ancient tradition in Puri in Odisha.”

Dhruba Mukherjee, vice-president, The Telegraph, presented the award to Patnaik.