The Sindhi Family No. 1 programme of the National Council for Promotion of Sindhi Language has started very well in the all the three centres in which it has been conducted so far.
Programme highlights: Putting it briefly, the programme comprising of ten minutes per team, three participants per team, was split into three segments: A small skit in Sindhi, a Sindhi recitation and a question and answer rapid fire question round on Sindhi history, culture, who’s who and tradition. A cash prize would be given to three top teams.
The best team of each centre would then proceed to zonal finals and thereafter to National final to identify “The Sindhi Family No. 1” of India. Participating teams would get a participation certificate. The judges would be eminent citizens and authorities on Sindhi language. Teams having three generation of participants or comprising of all youngsters team would be given additional marks. This would be followed by an audience poll to give a popular choice prize; as also an audience question and answer session. All prizes sponsored by NCPSL. All programmes followed by lunch or dinner again sponsored by NCPSL.
Programme Centres: The programme was given a kick start in Coimbatore on 14th Mar 2010, followed by Bangalore on 21st Mar and Mumbai on 27th Mar 2010. The future programmes are to be conducted in Agra on the 10th of April, Kanpur on the 11th of April and Indore on the 18th of April. Further programmes could be conducted once the funds are released in other prominent cities as identified by NCPSL. We have already received a number of proposals requesting for holding the programmes in various centres.
Programme Response: Each centre received an over whelming response with 8 to 9 teams participating in the programme. We also witnessed all youngsters’ teams, as also father son and grand son teams, mother son and grand daughter teams and various such combinations of family members. Almost all of them were first timers; so not much can be said about the professional performances or thundering scripts, but the endeavour to reach out to the masses and create an awareness amongst the people and to reach out to the masses through one of the oldest known form of art for public the theatre, was indeed a venture much appreciated by all present at the programmes so far successfully held in the aforementioned three centres. A very unique feature in all the three events so far has been the fact that the audience strength has remained almost constant throughout the 3 hours it took to hold the competition: a sure indicator that they found the programme very interesting. A Centre-wise Report is given below:
Coimbatore: The programme was held at Priya Kunj in co-ordination with the Sindhi Council of India. 7 Teams took part and the First Prize was won by Shobha Nichani & family which consisted of all three generations. Second Prize went to Mr. Rajesh Thadani & family & the 3rd to Bhupindra Valecha & family. We also introduced a popular poll which were equally shared by the First two winners. Besides this a question round for the audience was also conducted which proved to be very lively & interesting. About 300 people attended the event. The judges were Mr. Shyam Jumani, Mr. Shrikant Bhatia & Mr. Biharilal Menda.
Bangalore: The Programme was held at the Sindhi Auditorium, Sindhi Seva Samiti in co-ordination with the Sindhi Federation of Bangalore. 7 Teams took part and the First Prize was won by Satram Chugh & family. Second Prize went to Mr. Srichand Makhija & family & the 3rd to Sunil Tecksinghani & family. The popular poll went to the 3rd prize winner.About 950 people attended the event. The event was followed by a showing of the Singlish movie ’The Awakening.’ The judges were Mr. Shyam Jumani, Mr. Shrikant Bhatia & Ms Kajal Ramchandani.
Mumbai: The Programme was held at the Jai Hind Auditorium of Jai Hind College in co-ordination with the Sindhi Circle, JaiHind College. 9 Teams took part and the First Prize was won by Advani family. Second Prize went to the Rajpal family & the 3rd to Multani family. The popular poll went to the 1st prize winner. About 400 people attended the event which was a creditable achievement specially for a Sindhi event in South Mumbai. The judges were Mr. Ramesh Taurani,Mr. Vashu Bhagnani, Mr. Praveen Bhavnani all very famous personalities who remain glued to their seats.
Programme coordinator: The programme is an original idea of one of the NCPSL executive committee member Shri Rajkumar L Kukreja of Bangalore. He is assisted by Mrs. Vimi Sadarangani, Mrs. Kajal Ramchandani, Mr. BIharilal H Menda and Mr. Prakash F Madhwani.
Efforts have also been made to ensure that the programme is conducted in Sindhi by Master of Ceremony in all centres. Whilst Mrs. Nichani did it in Coimbatore, Mr. Madan Doulatram and Mr. Prakash F Madhwani did it in Bangalore and Mr. Baldev Matlani of Mumbai University conducted in Jai Hind College, Mumbai. This was also appreciated by all the members present.
Question bank: It would be appropriate to mention here that two of the most eminent authorities’ viz. Mrs. Vimi Sadarangani and Mrs. Kajal Ramchandani prepared a question bank of about 200 questions, grouped in a card of 5 questions per team, ranging from very simple to very difficult questions, which was again well appreciated by the people present.
