PANAJI
Dalgado Konknni Akademi (DKA) said it deeply mourns the sad and untimely demise of Fr Conceicao D’Silva.
In a press note issued here, DKA President Vincy Quadros said the oraganisation has lost a staunch supporter and well-wisher of Konkani. When DKA was facing financial constraints, he alone offered his financial assistance to start the prestigious Dalgado Puroskar in 2004, it stated.
Quadros recalled, “He continued to do so till the time State government started grants to DKA. He was the Vice President of DKA for two terms under the Presidentship of Premanand A Lotlikar and Tomazinho Cardozo.”
Now, with DKA President Vincy Quadros, Fr Conceicao had decided to make Raia as the Centre of Konkani in Roman script. In the year 2019, he and Vincy had organized a competition on the audio CD created by DKA in which around 200 participants displayed their talents by singing the songs.
In 2020, Raia organized Konkani Vachop Spordha for Parish Pastoral Council members and on February 21, Catechists of Raia were to participate in the likewise competition. There were many activities planned in Raia under the guidance of Fr Conceicao to promote Konkani with the support of Quadros after his being elected as Vice President in February 2020.
Quadros recalled Fr Conceicao’s spiritual activities. “People from different parts of Goa and the neighbouring states were visiting him almost every day. He never cared about money. People would malign his character, but the poor who carried bags of sugar and rice would be the right persons to describe it.”
“Likewise, the members of DKA would appreciate his gesture of spending thousands of rupees in giving away DKA awards from 2004 till 2008,” he said.
