A full time Konkani Activist Sri. Eric Ozario is busy these days with his dream project "Kalaangann", which will be, as yet, the biggest thing to happen to Konkani.  The project is estimated to cost around Rs. 1 Crore when completed.  Without any foreign funding or government grants, Kalaangann depends solely on people's contributions.  The first phase of Kalaangann was inaugurated by Sri. Naseeruddin Shah, India's eminent film & theatre personality, on December 02nd 2001.  An interview by daiji Melvyn Rodrigues.

Q: You work for the preservation and promotion of konkani culture.  How do you think globalisation affects culture and why?
A:  I am a full-timer, in the service of konkani and my primary concern is
(a) - the preservation, promotion, enrichment of konkanni culture
(b) - making cultural heritage relevant to modern times by giving it new
meaning, new interpretations through experimentations and innovations  
and making culture a part of life and not something only to cherish nostalgically
(c) - ensuring it's continuity for generations to come
My work has become all the more difficult, all the more necessary and all the more urgent because of globalisation.  Globalisation is all about economics and for the economics of globalisation to succeed, it necessitates the distruction of all other cultures, other than the culture it represents.  Therefore, every culture today faces the threat of extinction.  Konkani culture is one of the most endangered.
 
Q: Why should culture be preserved.  What does culture give to man?
A: The world is a beautiful garden of cultures of different hues and colours, each unique, rare and beautiful.  With the death of every culture or a portion of the same, the beauty of the world is proportionately reduced.  Every culture has the right to survive and thrive and it is the duty of every person to preserve one's culture - for, culture is our most precious heritage, gifted to us by our ancestors.  It is for us to live it, enrich it and pass-it on to our children - for them to do the same.

Culture gives man his identity.  Identity gives him a sense of belonging.  In this sense of belonging he finds security - security which is the essential foundation on which his future and the future of his community can be built, "No Culture - No Future".
 
Q: What is Kalaangann?
A: Literally "Kalaangann" means - "Courtyard of Arts" (Kala+Aangann).  Kalaangann is, in fact, the "Konkani Heritage Centre" being established by Mandd Sobhann (Regd.), the premier Konkani Cultural Organisation of which I am the President and a co-founder along with late Chafra D'Costa & Sri. Melvyn Rodrigues.  Kalaangann is being established, to create facilities required to carry on consistant, regular and continuous work of preservation, promotion and propagation of konkani language, arts & culture and transmission of the konkani heritage to future generations.
 
Kalaangann therefore will be -
(a) A Cultural Centre with fully equipped amphi-theatre and an indoor auditorium (specially decorated with konkani kaavi kala).
(b) A School / Training Centre with class rooms, rehearsal rooms, to teach the language & the arts (folk and performing).
(c) A Research & Documentation Centre, backed by an audio / video library, a library of books, a museum and a recording studio.
(d) An Experimentation Centre, where cultural experiments to revive and rejuvenate culture will constantly be conducted.
(e) A Social Centre, to bring together konkani's of all denominations, regions and dialects - for amity, harmony & interblen