Media Release

Panaji, Dec 23: Goan Poets’ Forum congratulated the Mangalorean poet and the co-founder of 'Mandd Sobann'  Melvyn Rodrigues for being declared as a recipient of the National Sahitya Akademi award.

While admiring contribution of Rodrigues in various formats of literature in Konkani, largely in Kannada script, Yusuf A Sheikh, the president of the Forum said that Poet Melvyn was pivotal force in Karnataka  who launched a movement to protect Konkani language and promote its literature. As a founder of the 'Kavita Trust'  Rodrigues took up poetry as a humanistic science to serve human kind and he was known globally for his immense interest in the language of the poetry, added Sheikh.

Pandharinath Damodar Lotlikar whose collection of Konkani poems was released by the Goa Chief Minister a couple of days back said that Melvyn Rodrigues was a shining example of shouldering responsibility of bringing hearts together. By organizing yearly 'Kavita Fest' in Mangalore, Melvyn has been  providing excellent opportunity to the poets from Goa and rest of the country in manifestation of human sensibilities, he said.

Ashok Chodankar, said that Melvyn Rodrigues by fetching the coveted award has added feather in the cap of those producing Konkani literature in Kannada script. It was now clear that the merit of literature had nothing to do with a particular script and therefore it was high time that the Sahitya Akademi realize the reality and keep the awards open to the work in Roman, Kannada and Persian scripts as well, he stressed. 

Poet Anil Kamat Shankhwalkar, eminent music producer Ramanand Raikar, former Goa information officer Vishwanath Sawant and several other Konkani scholars and artists from Goa joined the Forum in congratulating Melvyn Rodrigues.