Media Release
Mangaluru, Nov 7: Celebrating Konkani literature and nurturing the next generation of poets, the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy organised ‘Kavya Vhalo-20’, a poetry meet that brought together established and emerging literary voices at the Akademi auditorium on November 7.
Academy president Joachim Spani Alvares presided over the programme and, in his introductory address, highlighted the vision behind the ‘Kavya Vhalo’ initiative. Welcoming the gathering, he said the platform was designed not only to bring senior and junior poets together but also to encourage fresh literary talent.
"The objective of Kavya Vhalo is not merely to bring senior and junior Konkani poets together, but also to create and nurture new poets. We are happy to see that this objective is being realised today. Therefore, I urge all poets to participate in such poetry gatherings in the coming days and make the best use of these opportunities," he said.
The chief guest, veteran Konkani actor, director and poet Denis Montero, described such literary gatherings as an important source of encouragement and inspiration, particularly for young writers seeking to establish themselves.
"Such poetry meets are a great source of inspiration for poets. Their special feature is that young poets get an opportunity to interact with senior poets and benefit from their experience. The poems written by poets should have the power to draw people towards them. Only then will the poet's uniqueness become evident to society," he said, congratulating all the participating poets.
Konkani folk artiste Rama Naik, belonging to the Kudumbi community, was felicitated by the Academy. Speaking after receiving the honour, he underlined the role of language in safeguarding cultural identity and bringing communities together.
"Konkani is a means of bringing together people from every section of society. If the language survives, the culture will survive. Therefore, everyone must respect and cherish their mother tongue," he said, calling upon people to value and preserve their linguistic heritage.
Noted poet Dr Flavia Castelino conducted the poetry session, offering detailed insights into poets, poetry and the nuances of literary expression.
The session featured original compositions by Renisha Rona Lobo, Dr Aravind Shanbhag, Ashna Lena Pereira, Flavia Albuquerque, Anton Lewis Manipal, Poornima Suresh Naik, Lloyd Rego Thakode, Vani Parkala, Martin R. D'Souza and Robert Menezes Kanajar.
Academy member Samarth Bhat compered the programme and proposed the vote of thanks. Academy members Sunil Siddhi and Ronald Crasta were also present.