MARGAO
Principal Kala Academy College of Drama, Ramrao Wagh on Wednesday has called upon the government to set up a Konkani Tiatr Chair to carry out research, documentation and analysis on the popular form of Goan art.
Jyanpith Award winner and noted Konkani writer Damodar Mauzo has called upon the tiatr fraternity to take the art to great heights by taking steps by expanding the audience cutting across religion and caste.
The duo were addressing the inaugural and concluding session of the 2nd International Tiatr Sammelan at the Pai Tiatrist hall, Ravindra Bhavan, Margao organised by Kala Niketan Goa, in association with the Directorate of Art & Culture, Ravindra Bhavan Margao and Tiatr Academy of Goa.
In his inaugural address, Ramrao Wagh stressed on the need for research and documentation of tiatr through a Konkani Tiatr Chair to be set up and funded by the Goa government. “Once this chair is set up, the research and documentation will be entitled for funding under the government scheme,” he said.
He appealed to the organisers of the sammelan and tiatr lovers to take up the matter with the government so that the Konkani Tiatr Chair becomes a reality by next year. “This will take tiatr forward and to great heights in the coming years. Apart from the Konkani Chair, there’s a need to come out with a scheme for compensation to tiatrist whenever they suffer a loss,” Wagh added.
Jnanpith award winner, Damodar Mauzo, who was the Chief Guest at the concluding function of the sammelan expressed his satisfaction over the role played by tiatr to take forward Konkani language, literature and culture over the years.
“One cannot measure the value of the work tiatrists have done over the years. It’s just 60 years since Goa was liberated from the Portuguese, but tiatr has been in existence for the last 129 years. You can very understand that tiatr is firmly rooted amongst the people,” Mauzo said.
He, however, suggested to the tiatrists to explore the possibility of getting the audience cutting across religious and caste lines on lines of Nataka and other performing arts in neighbouring Maharashtra.
“In Maharashtra, we have different forms of literature and art including nataks, etc. No doubt, tiatr has an audience amongst two major religious communities, but we have to make a concerted attempt to take steps in that direction. An attempt was made in the past by the tiatr Ekuch Rosto to bring both the communities together. We have to take this forward,” Mauzo added.
