Netrajyothi Award for Mahantesh

Mr. Mahantesh, founder managing trustee of Samarthanam Trust for the disabled was awarded 'Netrajyothi,' for his great services to the society, by Sri Raghavendra Sangeetha Natyakala Samate, Jayanagar, Bangalore. The event took place at Dodda Banaswadi Veeranjaneya temple & Kodandarma Temple on 21st April 2009.
Mr. Mahantesh was born on 28th Sep 1970 in Neginhal, a remote village in Karnataka. He lost his eye sight when he was only 6 months, but he developed a noble vision towards the life. Mr. Mahantesh has done his masters in English literature, and M.Phil with a research theme on comparative literature, "Conflict of Religion and Politics" from Bangalore University. As a student, he participated in national and international sports and cultural events and won various championships in chess and cricket. In college, he was the captain of the visually impaired cricket team and represented Karnataka at the national and international levels. As a university student, he had the privilege of representing Indian Cricket Council in Cape Town in South Africa in 1997.
Subsequently, Mahantesh started working as a lecturer of English literature in a law college, but his vision towards life was always different and he wanted to prove to the world that disability should not be limiting, and the disabled people too could be independent, perhaps even change the world.  He wanted to start an organization to fulfill his vision - for empowering the blind through higher education. His great vision led him towards this noble cause, he started Samarthanam an NGO under the Indian Trust Act, on 26th February, 1997 to begin his Social Service Experiment (SEE). Samarthanam for the last 12 years, worked and envisioned to empower people who are differently abled and are from insolvent background of our society, to keep them in pace with the lightening development of success by providing them to achieve their maximum level of quality education, reasonable accommodation, nutritious food, vocational training, placement based rehabilitation and personal independence.
His quest for service is never going to end. He is planning more projects for the differently abled people and he is dreaming a world there everyone is equal and enjoys all the privilege being human.
hieve their maximum level of quality education, reasonable accommodation, nutritious food, vocational training, placement based rehabilitation and personal independence.

Polling hurdles for disabled 
Speaking about the polling arrangements made for the disabled, Mahantesh, who voted in Belgaum, narrated his experience. "The entire team which was officiating in the booth where I went to cast my vote was ignorant of disability and accessability, they were not also aware of the Braille code on the EVMs." Finally, Mahantesh told the officials about the availability of Braille and thus also enabled other disabled to exercise their mandate.