Media Release

Panaji, Dec 30: Tomazinho Cardozo, president of the World Konkani organization and the chairman of the Goa Tiatr Akademi has been declared ‘Goan of the Year-2011’ by the federation of Goan cultural, social and literary organizations which include the Goan Poets’ Forum, Janajagruti Manch of Margao, Saiyogam Kala Sangh of Headland Sada, , Konkonn Kala Vistar Kendra ,“Swarshree” of Vasco among others.

At a meeting presided over by noted Konkani poet Yusuf A Sheikh at Royal Plaza, it was resolved unanimously to confer the coveted  honour on Cardozo in recognition to his distinguished service to the Goans in different walks of life.

Sheikh said that Tomazinho Cardozo is blessed with Divine grace to work tirelessly to serve Goans and to bring to the fore the unsung heroes of Goa. But for his initiative, the cherishing memories of the Goan artists, specifically ‘kantorists’ and ‘tiatrists’ whose remarkable contributions were ignored by the Government institutions would have been erased for ever, he said and added that Cardozo spearheaded Konkani movement in its totality. Where as many others restricted themselves to one sphere of work or two, Mr. Cardozo’s area of work was extremely wide, he said. Cardozo as a playwright, an actor, a producer, a director,  a singer, a poet and a lyricist was a shining example of boundless energy that ultimately involved masses in the language movement, added Mr. Sheikh.

Kelly Furtado, president of Konkan Kala Vistar Kendra and a senior journalist recalled Tomazinho’s involvement in Konkani stage activities right from his school days and said that besides cultural stratum, his contribution to social awakening was notable. Precisely during the year 2011 he took up the issues of Goan identity and the problems of the Goans intensively through his articles in several Konkani and English periodicals, added Furtado.

Ashok Raghuvir Chodankar said that Tomazinho’s contribution was recognized globally and he was rightly selected during 2011as the president of the ‘Jagatik Konknni Songhotton’.  Chodankar futher said that Cardozo was a symbol of unity that brought the writers belonging to Hindu, Muslim and Christian communities together and thus enlarged and encouraged development of Konkani language and literature.

The President of Janajagruti Manch, Mr. Pandharinath Damodar Lotlikar said that Tomazinho’s efforts in bringing hearts together were laudable and that his contribution towards cultural renaissance in Goa was praiseworthy. His initiative could satisfy souls that regaled Goans for generations and, in turn, could attract large number of youth in the process of preserving Goan identity, he said.

Presidesnt of Saiyogam Kala Sangh Umesh Fatji and the chairman of the advisory board of the Sangh Vishwanath V Sawant, president of the ‘Swarshree Goa’ Ramanand Raikar, vice-president of the ‘Goan Poets’ Forum” poet Anil Kamat Shankhwalkar, poet Cyril Fernandes and other members of the cultural organizations attended the meeting that favoured resolution to declare Tomazinho Cardozo as the ‘Goan of the Year-2011’.