Mangalore : Konkani Kutam Bahrain Award Conferred on Stan Ageira
Pics by Dayananda Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network
Mangalore, Juy 23 : The 10th Konkani Kuttam, Bahrain award was conferred on Konkani short story writer, novelist, humorist and columnist Stan Ageira Mulki in a glittering function held at St Sebastian Church Hall, Bendore this evening. Rev Fr Prashant Madtha, former Principal of St Aloysius College, Mangalore, who presided over the function, honoured Stan Pereira with a shawl and memento. Konkani novelist Edwin J F D Souza who was the chief guest handed over the citation to Stan Ageira and Convener of Konkani Kuttam, Bahrain Richard Moras handed over a cheque for Rs. 50,000/- as the prize money of the award.
Konkani activist Ronald Gomes read out the citation in honor of Stan Ageira, for the audience.
It was a impressive ceremony in which prominent Konkani writers, novelists, eminent Konkani personalities and Konkani readers and aficionados of Mangalore participated enthusiastically. Stan Ageira is a prolific writer in Konkani, Kannada and English and in a writing span of over 35 years he has written 18 Konkani novels, over 300 short stories and 4 plays.
Speaking after receiving the award Stan Ageira who also gave the audience a glimpse of his wittiness said he has derived inspiration from Konkani writers like late V J P Saldanha and Edwin J F D Souza which pushed him into writing. “Reading their literature inspired me a great deal and shaped me as a writer. Konkani literature has grown tremendously in the last few decades and I have grown along with this growth”. Commending the role of daijiworld.com in taking Konkani literature to international levels, he said because of daijiworld his stories were published by world renowned publisher Raider Publishing International, which is spread in US, UK and South Africa.
Talking about Konkani writing and writers Stan Ageira said writers usually don’t write for the sake of awards. But writers very often think they live in their own island and do not allow others to enter into this private island and keep our minds hermetically sealed. “This is the biggest mistake most writers commit and this is the greatest tragedy of writers.
When we don’t make efforts to accommodate others views and are impervious to new developments, it shows in our writings also. Writers often write to vent their own personal grievances, shortcoming or travails so as to come out from their own small world.
Stan thanked the editors who gave him the impetus to write initially and also to his well wishers and other Konkani writers who kept prodding him to write. He also thanked the readers saying “without the readers writers are a big zero. If I have attained anything today it is because of my publishers and readers”.
Guest of Honour Edwin J F D Souza said he has set a different yardstick to measure Konkani literature. Commenting on Stan Ageira’s writing he said “by default we demand better literature. You have done well but we still need better literature”. He further added that Konkani literature is in urgent need of 3 bypass surgeries to make it more vibrant. Konkani literature need to have that revolutionary instinct, a craving for good literature and change in our mental attitude towards literature. “Writers cannot write in isolation or give reasons saying they don’t have plots. They have to copy and write what is happening in the society” Edwin D Souza argued.
He lamented the lack of interest among Konkani speaking people to read books written in Kannada language. “It is our misfortune that we don’t find many writings on the captivity of 60,000 Catholics by Tippu out of which more than 2/3 had died. There are many Catholics who have not read anything about inquisition or about the history of Mangalore diocese. Though we have 100 years of literature we have not brought out any revolutionary spirit in our writings”, Edwin pointed out.
Fr Prashanth Madtha, in his presidential address said “an intelligent society observes the events objectively from a distance. This kind of work is going on in Konkani literature which is a good development”.
Fr Madtha also stated that earlier people used to come together, discuss and act and that led to the growth of the society. He stressed on the importance of awareness among the people and to strengthen the society through such awakening. Fr Madtha also spoke on the collection of short stories of Stan Ageira titled “Tea, Coffee and Cheese Cake” and said his work represent the reversal of males and female roles as against the usual roles depicted. Taking a dig at men’s duality of roles he said though men want everything modern they want to retain their patriarchal superiority.
Earlier in the evening, Convener of Konkani Kuttam, Bahrain Richard Moras welcomed the gathering. Richard Moras and Local convener of Konkani Kuttam Bahrain Titus Noronha escorted Stan Ageira to the stage for conferring the award. Titus Noronha proposed the vote of thanks.
Leslie Rego compered the programme.
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