Media Release 

Panjim, Dec 27: Dalgado Konknni Akademi (DKA), an organization working for the promotion and development of Konkani in Roman script will hold its second Konknni (Romi) Literary and Cultural Sammelan on February 20 and 21, 2010 in Curchorem, at Ravindra Bhavan Hall
 
In the meeting of the executive board of DKA held recently here, Tomazinho Cardozo was unanimously elected as the president of the sammelan. Fr Manuel Gomes was elected as the president of the reception committee  and Walter Menezes as secretary of the sammelan.
 
Cardozo a former speaker of the Goa legislative assembly is the editor of the illustrated Konkani bi-monthly magazine, Gõykar and presently heads the Tiatr Akademi of Goa.  A regular contributor to almost all the daily newspapers and periodicals in Konkani and English, he has penned over 22 books in Konkani, notable among them being ‘Kanttech Kantte’, ‘Ami Soglle Ek’ (tiatr), ‘Thembe’ (stage songs), Manddo (folk songs), Jhelo (short stories), ‘Polloilam tem Boroilam’ (essays)  and Paklleo (poems)  besides two books of  collection of English essays, ‘My Journey’ and ‘As I see It’. Associated with several cultural and social organizations, he has been the guiding light of Kala Mogi, Candolim which group has consistently participated and won laurels at various Konkani One-Act Plays, Tiatrs and Manddo competitions.
 
Fr Gomes is the director of the Diocesan Centre for Biblical Apostolate and Professor of Pastoral Institute, Old-Goa. A former professor of Rachol Seminary and rector of the Seminary of Our Lady, Saligao – Pilerne, he is an expert in Konknni and was one of the major contributors in the preparation of Konknni Lectionary, ‘Vachpam Grônth’. He has written / edited / translated more than a dozen books, the most famous being ‘From Roots to Fruits’ and the four coloured books on the Bible. He has also translated Sr. Usha’s popular books, Hidden Springs to Healing and Prayers for Healing. But his greatest contribution is that he gave the Konknni speaking world, the long awaited Bible in Konkani in Roman script, the Povitr Pustok in 2006. He conducts several seminars on the Word of God throughout the length and breadth of Goa.
 
Walter Menezes is a writer and cartoonist. He has two books in Konkani to his credit: ‘Koddu Sonvsar ani her kotha’ (1987), a collection of short stories, which bagged the Konkani Bhasha Mandal’s Literary Award in 1988; and ‘Zoit ani her kovita’ (2008), a collection of poems bagged ‘Konknni Martir Floriano Vaz Pursokar’ of Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr this year. On the editorial board of Jivit, a monthly magazine in Konkani, he also contributes cartoons / comic strips to Gomantak Times under the title, ‘Out Of My Mind’.

Second Konknni (Romi) Literary and Cultural Sammelan is an attempt to bring together all lovers of Konknni. This conference aims to create enthusiasm and love and to foster unity among the Konkani speaking people.