Women honoured with the Kittur Rani Chennamma Awards

Highlights: Actor B Saroja Devi, who was among the awardees recalled her titular role in the Kannada film Kittur Chennamma.

BENGALURU: On the International Women’s Day, a tribal woman who prevented child marriages in the Jenu Kuruba community in Mysuru, and a young woman who started a school for intellectually challenged children, were among the 20 individuals who were honoured with the Kittur Rani Chennamma Awards.

Janakamma was honoured for her work towards the betterment of the Jenu Kuruba tribal community, by providing basic services to the tribals living in the forests of Periyapatna which is located near Mysore and to prevent child marriages. She told a source, “I got married at the age of 12. Such early marriages have led to maternal deaths. Now, girls in our community don’t marry before they are 18 and people have understood why we oppose child marriage.”

As Soumya, the founder of Karunamayi Foundation, from Mysore walked up to the dais to receive her award, a group of children with intellectual disabilities were ecstatic to see their teacher.

Actor B Saroja Devi, who was among the awardees recalled her titular role in the Kannada film Kittur Chennamma and said, “I was just 16 years old when I played Kittur Rani Chennamma, who opposed the British rule. My dialogues from the film are commonly used by school children for mono acting performances, which thrills me even today.”