Pics: Abhijith N Kolpe
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru, May 26: 'Kavita - Gazali', a poetry meet, literary discussion and book release event hosted by Kavita Trust in association with Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation was held at World Konkani Centre here on Saturday, May 25.
Eminent Konkani writer Damodar Mauzo released ‘Kaali Ganga’, a Kannada translation of Mahabaleshwar Sail's Konkani novel.
Executive director of Nava Karnataka Publications Ramesh Udupa said, "A lot of activities take place at Vishwa Konkani Kendra. The museum and library here are a testimony to the richness of this centre. The future generation can learn about our culture and Konkani literature by visiting this place.
"Nava Karnataka Publications was started 60 years ago under the leadership of B V Kakkilaya and since then it has grown vastly. The translator of 'Kaali Ganga', Geetha Shenoy has completed 65 works in which 22 were published by us. So far we have published 5,500 books such as medical, scientific and ideological," he said.
He also lamented that reading as a habit has diminished among today's youth.
Basti Vaman Shenoy, eminent writer and translator of 'Kaali Ganga, Geetha Shenoy and others were present.
Later ‘Maurice and Bendicta D’Souza Mukhamar Memorial multi-lingual poetry session’ was held by English poet Raja Rao, Konkani poet H M Pernal, Wilson Kateel and Kannada poet Arif Raja.
English poet Raja Rao recited his poems on "Brahma Beer" and "Plato Buffet".
Konkani poet H M Pernal recited five poems - "The Bangle Lane", "Window", "Air Trade", "Death Without Reason", and "Cricket and War".
Konkani poet Wilson Kateel recited his three poems - "On the Way to Work", "Inner Clothes" and "Entrance Exam for a Poem".
Jaison Sequeira recited poems written by Kannada poet Arif Raja in absentia - "Ammi's Spinning Wheel" and "A Tomb for Death".
English poet Raja Rao said, "I liked all the poems recited by Wilson Kateel and H M Pernal, especially the poems on window and inner clothes.”
Gazali session was chaired by author William Pais, in conversation with eminent Konkani writer and author of ‘Ink of Dissent’ Damodar Mauzo and eminent Kannada writer Jayanth Kaikini.
When asked about Konkani movement, Damodar Mauzo said, "I was 17-years-old when Goa was liberated. I have witnessed the transformation in Goa right from the time it was liberated. I was an eye witness of Indian army marching into Goa.
"Goa was liberated by body, but our soul was kept aside, that is Konkani. We felt we lost our voice. The two things that have us a boost was Konkani statehood and the inclusion of Konkani language into the 8th Schedule of the Constitution. We were elated by it and our struggle for it paid off," he said.
When asked about his journey, Jayanth Kaikini said, "I was born in Gokarna, then shifted to Mumbai and then to Bengaluru. First from Gokarna, I moved to Kumta and Dharwad for education. It is here I got a cultural shock. I then started to debate, take part in drama and I created my own identity. When I was in Gokarna, I never wrote. I went to Mumbai and it was a liberating space for me. The social domesticity was the kind which was very soothing and reassuring for me."