Tiatr Akademi to be set up by Nov

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2008-10-13
PANAJI - The Chief Minister, Mr Digamber Kamat on Sunday morning announced that the Tiatr Akademi would be set up by November. He also said that the objections of the Finance Department had been overruled and a budgetary provision of Rs15 lakh had been made for the Dalgado Konkani Akademi, this year.
“Language should unite the people and humanity. I know the needs of those who write Konkani in the Roman script and will see that justice is done. My government has already directed that all support be given to publication of books in Roman script as in Devanagri script and to give awards likewise,” said the Chief Minister speaking on the second anniversary of JIVIT magazine function at Margao on Sunday morning.
Mr Kamat also congratulated Mr Agnelo Alcasoas, Mr Michael Gracias and Mr Vincy Quadros on the occasion. He said that “Development, whether in health or education, must reach even to the rural people in distant villages and not just in towns of Panaji, Margao, Mapusa or Vasco.” On the dais were the guest of honour, Mr Eric Ozario of ‘Mandd Sobann’, the deputy Speaker, Mr Mauvin Godinho, former speaker, Mr Tomazinho Cardoz and Ms Valanka Alemao representing her father, MP, Mr Churchill Alemao.
Mr Eric Ozario, the man who led ‘Konkani Nirantari’ to enter the Guinness Book of World Records earlier this year recalled that his mentor, Mr Chafra had spent his entire life publishing JIVIT and said Mr Michael Gracias had done well to keep that name alive. “I have just three issues to place before the Chief Minister of Goa and all the people in this state,” he said and proceeded to speak of the co-existence of scripts, inclusiveness of Konkani and the pitfalls of fascism and chauvinism. Elaborating on the above issues, he informed that there was no “Script controversy for Konkani in Karnataka”, adding, “The Karnataka government has accepted both Kannada and Devanagri script for the promotion of Konkani education in schools. The same Konkani teacher can teach in either script and the students have a choice of scripts. The Goa government should give the students an option to write in Roman script.”
The second point that Mr Ozario made was to burst the myth that Konkani is the language of only the two communities: the Catholics and the Hindu GSB community. “In Karnataka, we have identified not two but 22 Konkani speaking communities including the Kharvi, Kunbi, Gavddi communities and even Muslims. This year, the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Akademi president is from the Kharvi community, breaking the long tradition of alternating between Christian and GSB presidents. Goa has an opportunity to make a similar affirmative change. Let the next president of the GKA be from those who write in the Roman script ” he said.
The third point he made was about the roots of the slogan “Ek Bhaxa, Ek lipi, Ek Sahitiya, Ek Samaj” of the Akhil Bharatiya Konkani Parishad dominated by just four Basha Mandals. “They have only stopped short of saying ‘Ek Dharm’ also,” he emphasised. “Let us create a world leadership for Konkani based on this diversity that will build our unity” he exhorted all present.
Earlier, Mr Tomazinho Cardoz, member of GKA, DKA and Kala Academy Executive Committees for the promotion of Konkani, in his introductory address recalled that a large number of young contributors to the JIVIT magazine had attended the writers’ workshop conducted by the Dalgado Konkani Akademi at Panaji recently and urged the writers to continue writing with the enthusiasm that they have begun with.
Ms Jasmine Fernandes, speaking on behalf of the awardees, thanked the publisher and editor of JIVIT for affording an opportunity to budding writers and narrated the poignant story of Dexter Fernandes, who had sent an article to another Konkani magazine and received no response after a month. When he saw JIVIT on the news stand, he was motivated to send that same article and was thrilled when the editor called him in a week to appreciate his article before even publishing it in the very next issue of the magazine. “If not for JIVIT, many young budding writers like Dexter would be lost forever,” said Ms Jasmine, a lecturer in a higher secondary school in Margao.
The director of Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr, Dr Pratap Naik SJ; DKA president, Mr Premanand Lotlikar; former director of Doordarshan and editor of ‘O Re Soi,’ Mr Yusuf Sheikh; TACT director, Mr Wilson Mazarello; script writer/director, Anil Kumar; publisher, Mr Prabhakar Tendulkar; authors/writers, Willy Goes, Fr AveMaria Alphonso, Peter Piexote, Fr Nevil Gracias, Isidore Dantas, Lino Dourado, Albino Fernandes, Nevil Alphonso, Jasmine Fernandes; young writers, Selza Lopes, Agusta Fernandes; film actor, Cyriac Dias and others were present. Seven writers (Selza, Cyrilo, Lino, Albino, Nevil, Peter and Jasmine) were awarded for their works and six books were released on the occasion.
Mr Mauvin Godinho and Ms Valanka Alemao also spoke while Mr Vincy Quadros proposed the vote of thanks. Mr Tarkeshwar Naik and Ms Lara Gracias compered the function.