Chief Minister Pramod Sawant lighting the traditional lamp to mark the inauguration of the 34th All India Konkani Convention held at Pune. Also seen are Aruna Dhere, MLC of Maharashtra Amit Gorkhe, Nandgopal Shenoi, Ashwini Jambhekar Kulkarni, Chetan Acharya, Alfie Monteiro and Sneha Sabnis.
MARGAO
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Saturday that Konkani may have many dialects and may be written in different scripts in different states, but the hearts of all Konkani people are one, and this is the greatest strength of the language.
He was speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of the 34th All India Konkani Convention held at the Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hall in Nigdi, Pune.
Renowned Indian writer Aruna Dhere, All India Konkani Parishad president Nandagopal Shenoy, Member of the Legislative Council Amit Gorkhe, Reception Committee chairperson Ashwini Jambhekar Kulkarni, Parishad working president Chetan Acharya, General Secretary Sneha Sabnis and Convention working president Alfie Monteiro were present on the dais.
The convention venue has been named after renowned publisher and writer Sumant Kelkar, the entrance gate after Eduardo Bruno Souza, who published the first Konkani magazine from Pune, and the stage after Shenoi Goembab, the father of modern Konkani.
Speaking further, the Chief Minister said his government was giving priority to the promotion and propagation of Konkani culture, literature and cinema.
Chief speaker Aruna Dhere said that being a litterateur did not merely mean acquiring a language of communication, but also having a heartfelt concern for the surrounding nature and people, which she described as the very soul of literature. She advised the younger generation that even in today’s AI era, the importance of the human brain had not diminished in the least. She urged them to make use of available technology without becoming addicted to it.
All India Konkani Parishad president Nandagopal Shenoy appealed to the Goa Chief Minister to liaise with the neighbouring governments of Kerala and Karnataka and make efforts to give priority to Konkani language education in those states.
Reception Committee chairperson Ashwini Jambhekar Kulkarni, working president Chetan Acharya and Alfie Monteiro also spoke on the occasion.
General Secretary Sneha Sabnis proposed the vote of thanks, while Anant Agni compered the programme.
The convention was inaugurated with a Ghumat performance by ‘Aami Kankonkar’ and the lighting of the traditional lamp. Several books were also released at the hands of the Chief Minister.
TAG says Sawant highlighted tiatr’s global reach
MARGAO: Tiatr Academy of Goa President Anthony Barbosa has said that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant made a special mention of Goa’s tiatr culture during the inaugural function of the 34th All India Konkani Literary Festival held in Pune.
Barbosa said the Chief Minister had stated that even those who know Marathi watch tiatr in foreign countries.
“The CM once again highlighted the inclusion of
tiatr in India’s Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Union Ministry of Culture as its 56th element. He also appreciated the efforts of the Tiatr Academy of Goa (TAG), acknowledging its outstanding contribution towards documenting, preserving and promoting tiatr, Goa’s unique theatrical art form, internationally,” the TAG president said.
He added: “The Chief Minister further stated that tiatr is our rich heritage and keeps Konkani alive globally.”
