INDIA: Septugenarian to be honoured for social care of orphans and elderly

. BIJAPUR, Karnataka / The Times of India / January 25, 2009 By Sushilendra T. Naik, Times News Network The Indian government has selected Venkatesh P Gurunaik, a social worker and a native of Bijapur, for National Award-2007. The award will be conferred on him at a function in New Delhi on February 4. The `loving grandfather' of orphans has been chosen for the award for his decades-long services for child welfare. The award carries a citation, an appreciation letter, a medal and Rs 100,000 cash. Selfless service Gurunaik has taken care of leprosy patients and their children, and rehabilitated abandoned children and child labour for three decades. Born on November 10, 1939, at Bhuyyar village of Indi taluk of Bijapur district, he studied intermediate and joined as supervisor at government-aided Leprosy Centre in 1967. However, he quit the job in 1970 to register a charity - Swami Vivekananda Kushta Seva Samiti - in his name at Bijapur. He started a service centrein 1995 at Deval Ghanagapur of Gulbarga district to provide education, medical aid, food, and clothing to children of leprosy patients. The center had only eight residents when it started, now has 70. Gurunaik built Nanda Gokul, a hostel for children abandoned at birth, at Gulbarga in 1994. It has 19 beneficiaries. Sandhya Deep (Lamp at Sunset), started in 2008, brings solace to the lives of elderly people. In the year 2000, the Karnataka state government' ministry of women and child welfare had conferred the State Award on Gurunaik. Acknowledging the central government's honour for him, the septuagenarian bachelor told `The Times of India': "The credit must go to the elderly people of Bijapur district for being my guiding force." Copyright © 2009 Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd.