THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
The Dalgado Konknni Akademi organized a special function at Ravindra Bhavan Margao to honour 25 Konkani writers who have sincerely served the mother tongue Konkani, as part of the 60th anniversary of Goa’s liberation.
Churchill Alemao, MLA of Benaulim constituency graced the occasion as the chief guest and besides the writers’ fraternity, there were priests, nuns and Konkani lovers. Addressing the gathering, Churchill applauded DKA for its work in the field of Konkani literature as he recollected a series of events he faced during the language agitation. He also remembered his role as a South Goa MP and the manner in which he spoke in Konkani in the Parliament with prior permission from the Speaker. This action of his later resulted in appointing a Konkani interpreter in the Parliament.
Congratulating Tomazinho Cardozo for establishing DKA, Churchill stated that he has appealed to the Chief Minister to further increase government grants to DKA from the present Rs 30 lakhs to Rs 50 lakhs. “The CM has assured me that he will look into the matter and do the needful,” announced Churchill.
DKA president Vincy Quadros briefed on the awareness regarding the use of spoken and written Konkani in the villages and asked for support to organise the activity further. “We have now commenced such programmes in schools and colleges, and we are already getting ready with books in the Roman script for teaching Konkani at the primary level in schools. KG Book I and II are ready,” he declared.
Quadros appreciated Konkani writer Ives Tavares for his book, ‘Povitr Pustokantlem Bhanddar’ that has got his name in the Asia Book of Records. Mentioning the financial and space crunch, Quadros appealed to the government to provide aid and space to DKA. The function was compared by Sonia Gomes, while Celso Fernandes proposed the vote of thanks. The function ended with the recital of the National Anthem.
