by Gasper Almeida
Panaji, Apr 3: Dalgado Konknni Akademi (DKA) has announced its annual awards to personalities who have contributed to the development of Konkani in Roman script. Eminent Konkani stalwart and scholar and former acting Vice-Chancellor of the Goa University, late Prof. (Dr.) Olivinho Gomes will be honoured posthumously with Dalgado Puroskar 2009 for his life time contribution to Konkani literature in Roman script.
Minguel Jacob Carmo Luis Fernandes, who is popularly known 'Prince Jacob' – the prince of the Konknni tiatr, who staged his first tiatr, Pinzrem in 1985 and then went on to produce a quarter century of acclaimed khell-tiatrs will be conferred with Dalgado Puroskar 2009 for culture.
Both these awards carry a shawl, a memento, a citation and a cash prize of Rs. 25,000/- each.
Antonio da Piedade Morais, who tirelessly work for the preservation of Goa’s literature, culture and identity, will be honoured with ‘Dalgado Daiz Puroskar 2009.’
Dalgado Puroskar 2009 for institutions furthering the cause of Konkani in Roman script will be awarded to Thomas Stephens Konkani Kendr (TSKK), a Konknni research, educational and cultural centre named after the sixteenth century English Jesuit, Fr. Thomas Stephens.
Both these awards carry a shawl, a memento, a citation and a cash prize of Rs. 20,000/- each.
Dalgado Konknni Akademi’s Fr. Freddy J. da Costa Puroskar 2010 for journalism in Konknni in Roman script will be presented to Isidore Dantas, a Goan settled in Pune.
Dalgado Puroskar 2009 for youth contribution to Konkani in Roman script will be conferred on Miss Nevena Furtado who writes poems and short stories with depth.
Both these awards carry a shawl, a memento, a citation and a cash prize of Rs. 10,000/- each.
Premanand Lotlikar, President of Dalgado Konknni Akademi has congratulated all the awardees and hoped that their example of love and sacrifices towards the development of Konkani in Roman script will inspire the youth of today to work with dedication for the progress of our mother tongue, Konkani.
The Awards will be presented in a special function to be held on April 8, 2010, at 5.00 pm in Tiatr Academy Goa’s Conference Hall, Campal Trade Centre, Campal, Panjim.
More about the Awardees
Late Dr. Olivinho Gomes
A prolific research oriented writer, Dr Gomes has authored more than 40 books in Konknni and English and presented papers and lectures at several international seminars. Having passed the 1969 Central Civil Services exam he was assigned to the Indian Revenue Service, where he held important positions in the Union Finance Ministry. He later became the Additional Customs Commissioner of six Divisions in the Aurangabad Commissionerate.
In 1987, he quit his high ranking post for the Konknni mission and joined the Goa University as Professor of Konknni and retired in 2003 as Head of Konkani Department. Recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award for Translation in 1993, Dr Olivinho Gomes also received various awards and research fellowships, such as the Jezvit Antonio Pereira Konkani Puroskar, V X Verodiano Foundation (USA) Award, Senior Commonwealth Fellowship and Dempo Trust Fellowship.
Known for his eye for detail, he wrote many books recording the history, literature and culture of Goa in his own inimitable style, notable among them being Village Goa, a detailed book on Chandor. His last DKA-commissioned book, Konkani Literature In Roman Script will be released soon.
Prince Jacob
A versatile writer and director with 48 tiatrs and khell-tiatrs to his credit so far, Prince Jacob has also translated the Marathi drama, Sahi Re Sahi and successfully staged it as Rupnnem in tiatr-form. Zayat Zage, his latest tiatr which uses humour to highlight the decay and impending death of everything dear to Goa and Goans, bagged the first prize at the First Popular Tiatr Festival organized by Tiatr Academy of Goa recently.
A two-time recipient of the Best Actor Award instituted by Gulab magazine and a celebrity Konknni RJ on BIG FM, Prince Jacob has scripted and staged three religious tiatrs as well, Gõycho Saib, Sant Anton Milagrincho Sagor and Padr Zuze Vaz – Gõycho Askari. His Padri khell-tiatr the last of 25 tiatrs under letter ‘P’ series, was performed 315 times in India and abroad and was later converted into a celluloid film of the same name.
Antonio Piedade Morais
He has established a modern research and reference library, Goenkaranchem Daiz (GD) in Margao and has himself donated a treasure of over 3000 books covering Konknni language, literature, culture, history and other subjects to his missionary endeavor.
A retired Goa Civil Service Officer, Antonio da Piedade Morais who has been actively involved in the promotion and development of Konknni language and has contributed countless articles on history and health, language, politics and religion to newspapers and magazines in Goa, Mumbai and Kerala. He took the initiative to open various branches of Konknni Bhasha Mandal in different parts of Goa and also established Konknni Obheas Kendr, a research centre in Panaji in 1969.
Shri Morais is a recipient of various awards and recognitions, notable among them being the Jezvit Antonio Pereira Konknni Puroskar in 2002, Konknni Bhasha Mandal’s Seva Puroskar in 2006 and Eduardo Bruno de Souza Iadostik Son’man conferred by Jivit magazine in 2007.
Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr
Established in September 1985 and presently based in Alto Porvorim, TSKK aims at fostering the unity of the Konknni people through the promotion of Konknni language, literature and culture.
TSKK has its own modern library with more than 15000 volumes on such diverse subjects as language, literature and linguistics, folklore and cultural anthropology, besides grammars and dictionaries of many Indian languages. The centre has so far published over 20 research and educational books in Konknni as well as CDs and cassettes of nursery rhymes, devotional songs and language learning material. TSKK also boasts of a mini botanical garden with its focus on local fruits and flower plants.
Every year, TSKK has been conducting seminars, workshops and writing courses to teach Konknni to students, teachers and researchers and has instituted several awards and scholarships to writers, artists and students. These include the Jezvit Antonio Pereira Konknni Puroskar, Carvalho Ghorannem –TSKK Kola Puroskar (in association with Mandd Sobhann, Mangalore), Konknni Martir Floriano Vaz Puroskar and Fr. Lederle Memorial Scholarships, Carvalho Family Scholarships and Lorenço & Umbelina de Souza Scholarship.
Isidore Dantas
He has been consistently contributing to various Konknni newspapers and magazines such as Sot, Divtti, Vavraddeancho Ixtt, The Goan Sports Weekly, Gulab, Jivit, Uzvadd, etc. A former secretary of Pune Goans Social Union, he was instrumental in establishing Konknni Bhasha Mandal in Pune and in the sixties, he published Ulo, a cyclostyled weekly in Konknni in an effort to sustain the love of mother tongue.
A gifted person, Isidore Dantas has written and successfully staged two tiatrs and has to his credit a collection of Konknni adages with English interpretations, Vozram published in 2007. His Konknni crossword, Utram-khell appears regularly every month in Jivit magazine.
Recipient of Al Jerry Braganza Yadostik Sonman in 2008 for his research-related work in the field of Konknni cinema, Isidore Dantas has provided the English subtitles for the Konknni film, Bhuimierantlo Monis.
Nevena Furtado
Nevena Furtado who has worked as a counsellor for orphaned children and is at present doing her B.Ed through Nirmala Institue, Panaji has been writing poetry and stories since her school days and has attended various poetry recitation competitions and workshops, besides appearing on Doordarshan and the Yuvavani programme of AIR. A regular contributor to Jivit magazine, her collection of short stories is due for release soon.
A member of a cultural troupe showcasing Goan folk dances, Nevena recently bagged the first prize at the All India Essay Writing Contest organized by Sahaj Marg Research & Training Institute (SMRTI), Goa.