Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (HB)

Udupi, Mar 22: The two-day long Konkani Sahitya Sammelan organized by Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy, Mangaluru, concluded on Sunday March 21, at RSB auditorium, Manipal.

Bishop of Udupi diocese, Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo addressing the gathering at the valedictory ceremony said, “I thank the Konkani Sahitya Academy for inviting me to this Sammelan. Today, we belonging to various communities, have come together in the name of Konkani language. The language which we learnt on the laps of our mother in our childhood will never be forgotten.

“The future of a language relies on its usage. Konkani should be used more frequently, not only in literature but also in administration, business, socially, and in politics. This will ensure a greater standard to Konkani. But today many of us are hesitant to speak in our mother tongue. We should never fail to recognise ourselves through our mother tongue.

“Tradition and culture is a way of life. Good values and great culture are built by preserving languages. Today, around 42 communities are speaking Konkani. Dialects of Konkani are used from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Catholic people speak Konkani language in Mumbai, America and in Gulf countries. Various organisations are trying to spread the language. People have held the language high through their deeds and achievements,” he said.

Dinakar Babu, president, Udupi zilla panchayat, appreciated the programme organized by the academy.

Five different sessions were held on various topics from the second day in the morning. The first session held was on the topic 'Konkani Language and Literature'. Venkatesh Baliga, editor, Kodiyal newspaper, Mangaluru, presided over the first session. Vasudeva Shyanubagh from Sirsi, Chandramathi G Varnekar from Bengaluru and Raymond D’Cunha from Mangaluru, participated.

Following the first session, a book ‘Arogyachi Bhagya’ written by Dr Kumta Shivaram Karanth, was released.

The second session was ‘Kavigoshti’ (poem session), third session was ‘Kathagoshti’, fourth was on education and fifth was 'Hasyagoshti'.

Manjunath Kamath, Vishnuprasad, Nagesh Anvekar, Alfonso D’Souza, Chaithra Goavskar, Tharanath Mesta, Taranath Nayak, Kallacchu Mahesh R Nayak, Kantavar Shivanand Shenoy and Shivanand Nayak, participated in the second session.

Melvyn Rodrigues, president, Kavitha Trust Mangaluru, presided over the Kavigoshti.

Ravindra Nayak Sannakkibettu, Geetha Savanth, Prem Moras and Suchithra Shenoy took part in Kathagoshti. Sandhya Pai, editor, Taranga Weekly, presided over the session.

Robort Menezes, Chandrika Malya and Gourish Bhandary Kumuta expressed their views on education. K P Shenoy, secretary, Sri Venkataramana education Trust Karkala presided over the fourth session.

H Satish Nayak and Jaideep Prabhu entertained the audience by cracking jokes. Sandhya Shenoy, famous comedian and writer, presided over the last session.

President of Sammelan Dr Kasturi Mohan Pai, presided over the valedictory ceremony.

Dr K Jagadish Pai, president, Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy Mangaluru, was present.

As many as 22 achievers, who served in various fields, were recognised and honoured by the organising committee. Balachandra Gaovskar, Tanula Tarun, Dr Padmanabh Kamath, Manjunath Prabhu, Dr Vidyadhar, Nandagopal Shenoy, Daccharu Ganapathi Shenoy, Anamay Shetty, Gopal Kharvi, Rajesh Prabhu, Shantaram Kudva, Sudha Prabhu (absent), Pushpa Raghuram Mesta, Arjun Bhandarkar, Halady Laxmi Devi Vasudev Kamath, Poornima Shenoy, Vatsala Kamath, Rajivi, Suhash Shenoy, Alphonso D'Costa, Gopalakrishna Nayak, Narayan Gavalkar and Shanta Naik were honoured.

Neetha Prabhu, Sulatha Bhandary and Sandhya Shenoy were honoured by the committee for their remarkable work.

Mahesh Takhoor, executive presided, organising committee, Poornima Suresh Nayak, general convener, Sumithra Nayak, president, City Municipality Council Udupi, Yasin Malpe, former president, Udupi District Muslim Okkoota, Vishwanath Shenoy, businessman, D Ramesh Nayak, Poornananda Foundation Mangaluru, Nagesh Kumar G Rao, president, Konkani Samsara Prathishtana, Satish Shejavadkar, Businessman Hubli, Dr Vijayalakshmi Nayak, lecturer, Srinivas University Mangaluru, and office bearers of the academy were present.

Honorary advisor for the organising committee Kuilady Suresh Nayak welcomed the gathering.

Sanur Narasimha Kamath and Amrith Shenoy compered the programme.