Mangaluru : Artistes, sportspersons and representatives from various cultural and social organisations here on Thursday expressed their solidarity with the Chairman of Alva’s Education Foundation M. Mohan Alva and condemned the smear campaign against Mr. Alva following the death of Class 10 student Kavya Poojary in Moodbidri on July 20.

Speaking at a meeting at the Town Hall here, Yakshagana critic and artiste M. Prabhakara Joshi said that it was sad that a suicide of a student was being used as a tool to belittle Mr. Alva, who has contributed immensely to the field of art, culture and sports. “He is the pride of our district and has brought light to the houses of hundreds of people across the State.”

Mr. Joshi said that while artistes are saddened over the loss of life of a budding sportsperson Kavya Poojary, it was disheartening that Mr. Alva was being targeted. “There is a set pattern in maligning Mr. Alva,” he said and asked all like-minded people to raise their voice to counter the smear campaign. “Let the truth behind the death come out. Also, those behind this smear campaign should be exposed,” he said.

Olympian Sahana Kumari said that Mr. Alva has been steadfast in encouraging talented sportspersons and has never gone by caste they belonged too. “I have moved across the country and nowhere do you have an organisation like the one managed by Mr. Alva that provides free education and support to budding sportspersons,” she said.

Dancer and a Bharatanatyam teacher Chandrashekar Navada said that Mr. Alva has been providing free education to nearly 4,500 students every year, of which 600 are classical dancers. Artist Ganesh Somayaji spoke of Mr. Alva’s encouragement for artists and his support for budding artists.

Athletics coach Dinesh Kundar, Vasant Shetty from Saanidya Residential School for differently abled children, Tulu theatre artiste Kishore D. Shetty, Chairman of Sri Devi Group of Institutions A. Sadananada Shetty and President of the Dakshina Kannada Sahitya Parishad Pradeep Kumar Kalkura spoke.

Earlier, at a press conference, former Minister K. Amarnath Shetty said that a public meeting will be held on Saturday at Moodbidri’s Swaraj Maidan at 2.30 p.m. to express people’s support to Mr. Alva.