By Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network—Mumbai (RD/CN)
 
Mumbai, Jun 27: The Konkani Sahitya Samskruti Sammelan was held at St Joseph’s parish auditorium, Mira Road, on Sunday June 27.  It was held under the aegis of the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy, Mangalore, Kavita Trust, Mangalore, metro-based Konkan Kharvi Welfare Association, and St Joseph’s Konkani Welfare Association, Mira Road, here. 
 
Anant Amembal, Marathi movie music director, inaugurated the Sammelan on Sunday morning.
 
Vasudev Shanbagh, member of Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy, Mangalore, presided over the programme.
 
J B Moraes, recipient of the Konkani Sahitya Academy Award, was the chief guest on the occasion.
 
Amembal, in his inaugural address, said that Konkani is an ancient language and has a great future provided the new generation of Konkans make integral use of the it in their daily lives. 

“Konkans settled in the metro have a strong pull towards Konkani. However, Konkani is losing its ground owing to daily conversations in other languages out of necessity”, he said. 

Amembal called upon Konkans to promote Konkani poetry that gave happiness to Konkans who were burdened at times by the troubles and tribulations of life.
 
Moraes said that any literary effort contributes to its posterity. 

“Writers and litterateurs should be committed to the ethics of literature and culture which will earn them the trust of readers at large. Readers are everything and the joint efforts of writers, litterateurs, and poets can sustain Konkani for many centuries”, he added.

Moraes appealed to Konkans to strive for the sustenance of Konkani and its distinct culture.
 
Mira Road St Joseph’s parish priest Fr Dominic Vaz, metro-based Rajapur Saraswat Sangh president Prabhakar D Borkar, Konkan Kharvi Welfare Association former president Ravi T Naik, Konkani Sahitya Academy Mangalore registrar S H Shivarudrappa, and Mira Road St Joseph’s Konkani Cultural Association president John Crasta were the guests of honour.
 
Borkar said that Konkani has no prejudices and its cultural influence on the new generation is the need of the hour.

Vasant Bhandekar welcomed the gathering while Joy Paladka proposed the vote of thanks.  Vitori Karkal compered the programme. 
 
Kavita Trust president Melvyn Rodrigues was the resource person for the Konkani poetry workshop.
 
Young Konkani poet Nazareth Neri Taccode moderated the youth poetry session.  Poets Philip D’Souza, Joy Paladka, Rita Albuquerque, Lawrence Castelino, Mary Pinto, and Gerald Pinto recited their poetry on the occasion.
 
H M Pernal, Konkani litterateur, poet, and critic moderated the veteran poets poetry session.  Poets Philomena San Francisco, Melvyn Rodrigues, V D’Silva Kanjurmarg, Wilson Kateel, Prasanna Niddodi, Ron Michael, Sheela Kambadakone, Dilip Dharalgnar, and others recited their poetry.
 
A seminar on changes in Konkani literature and community after inclusion of Konkani in the eighth schedule of the Indian constitution was held on Sunday afternoon.  Young writer and journalist Wilson Kateel from Mangalore spoke on the literary aspect and Vitori Karkal on the social aspect of the same topic.
 
Fr Vaz inaugurated the Konkani library set up for the first time in the parish on the same occasion. 
 
The artistes of Konkani Kharvi Welfare Association presented traditional fishermen’s folk dance while Gerry Rasquinha and friends enthralled the audience with jokes and mimicry as part of the cultural programme on Sunday evening. 

The artistes of ‘Konkan Naach’ also performed various dances on the occasion.