The 34th Annual Fr Antonio Pereira Konknni Puroskar were presented to six personalities at Porvorim recently.
PANAJI
When a Jesuit priest hailed Miguel Jacob Carmo Luis Fernandes as the ‘Prince’ of comedy, it was a tag that Prince Jacob retained as his stage name for over four decades.
Prince Jacob was narrating his experiences with the late Fr Antonio Pereira as he and five other noted personalities were presented with awards at the 34th Annual Fr Antonio Pereira Konkani Puroskar (APKP) ceremony hosted by the Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr (TSKK) in Porvorim.
The chief guest was Tomazinho Cardozo, an eminent stage artiste, writer, and an educationalist.
Prince Jacob, a renowned Tiatrist, was honoured with this year’s prestigious APKP award for his decades of valuable contribution towards the Konkani Tiatr and films.
The award comprised a shawl, a memento, and a prize of Rs 30,000. In his speech, he spoke of his encounters and the bond he shared with the late Fr Antonio Pereira.
He recalled how on October 2, 1982 at a public function, Fr Antonio Pereira had hailed him as a “Prince” of Comedy, a tag that ever since remained as his stage name, Prince Jacob.
He expressed his immense gratitude towards TSKK for acknowledging his works and honouring him with an award instituted by the man, who named him Prince Jacob.
In addition to Prince Jacob, five more Goan personalities were honoured and felicitated for their outstanding contribution towards the promotion of the Konkani language, literature, art, and culture.
These five recipients include Mathew De Souza (Dr Jack Sequeira Konknni Puroskar), Mitchel Sharon Cota, (Valerio Carvalho Konknni Puroskar), Fr Myron Jeson Barreto (Maria Afonso Konknni Puroskar), Teotonio Costa, (late Fr Casmiro D’ Mello Konknni Puroskar) and Fr Simon Rico Fernandes, (Martir Floriano Vaz Konknni Puroskar).
While the first three recipients of the award were based on the category of male, female and a priest, nun or religious, the late Fr Casmiro D’ Mello Konknni Puroskar is given for a Konkani activist, male or female, who tirelessly works to promote Konkani.
The Martir Floriano Puroskar is being awarded to the Konkani Book of the year. This year, “Vattsurancho Sangati” was selected as the book of the year.
Along with these Puroskars, some scholarships were also given to a few meritorious and deserving students, who had taken Konkani as a 3rd language.
The award ceremony began with a prayer hymn, sung by the tiny tots of Babyland Kindergarten, Porvorim, which was followed by the TSKK Director Dr Pandurang Phaldesai’s welcome address.
This event also featured a few Konkani songs sung by the stage artistes of Prince Jacob Production, Evola Cota, Celest Pereira and Avers Pereira. The ceremony also included the release of the annual SOD, the TSKK research bulletin.
The chief guest Tomazinho Cardozo, a recipient of the APKP 1993, in his speech exhorted the recipients that these awards were given to them not to bask in laurels, but rather to encourage them to put in extra efforts and produce greater works.
Fr Joseph Cardozo, SJ, a representative of the Provincial of the Goa Jesuit Province, also addressed the gathering.
The entire ceremony was anchored by Fr Ave Maria Afonso and Dr Janet Fernandes, which culminated with the vote of thanks by Fr Kelwin Monteiro, the Jesuit Coordinator of the TSKK.
