SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024
Dolcy D’Cruz
In a documentary with Sahitya Academy, when asked about his love for Goa, Dr Manohar Rai Sardessai said, “For certain things, there are no reasons and for love, there is no reason at all. I love Goa, I love poetry. I like to paint with words and also play with words.” He received the Sahitya Academy Award for his poetry ‘Pissolim’ in 1980. Such was his love for Goa that his poems still resonate with the beauty of the state.
The celebrated Konkani poet, popularly known as ‘Lok-Kavi’ and the Prince of Konkani poets, Dr Manohar Rai Sardessai was born on January 18, 1925. Beginning the centenary year celebrations of Dr Manohar, a two day symposium is being convened at Goa University by Prof Anuradha Wagle, Convenor and Dean, Shenoi Goembab School of Languages and Literature (SGSLL), Dr Hanumant Chopdekar, co-convener and associate professor of Konkani and Prof Anthony Gomes, co-convener and assistant professor, French and Francophone Studies, Goa University.
Hailing from Savoi Verem village, Dr Manohar was the son of Konkani and Marathi author, Laxmanrao Sardessai. He completed his High School education at Bhatikar Model High School in Margao and later obtained a First Class First in Bachelor of Arts from the University of Bombay in 1947. He successfully completed his Master of Arts, also with the First Class First in French at Bombay University. He obtained his Doctorat ès Lettres Françaises in 1958 from the University of Sorbonne, Paris. “He taught French at Chowgule College, Margao from 1953 and the Centre of Post-Graduate Instruction and Research of Bombay University in 1985. Post his retirement, he returned to the education field at the newly established Goa University as the head of French department,” says Maya Sardessai, daughter of Dr Sardessai.
For nearly six decades, Dr Sardessai held on to the beacon of hope for Konkani and Goa. Though he taught Konkani and French, his love for writing made him take breaks from his work to concentrate on his writing. “He was very passionate about writing. Even while working at different institutes, he would still take lots of breaks to focus on his writing,” adds Maya.
His literary legacy includes poems like ‘Aiz Dholar Padli Badi’, ‘Goeam Tujea Moga Khatir’, ‘Jaipunyabhu Jai Bharata’ and ‘Bebyache Kazar’, ‘Zaio-Zuio’, ‘Mankuli Geetam’ and ‘God God Geetam’. He played a crucial role in the recognising Konkani as an official language of the state and the historic Opinion Poll of 1967. He was also the president of Konkani Bhasha Mandal for three years presided over the 8th All-India Konkani Conference held in Margao in 1962. He was awarded the prestigious title of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques bestowed by the French Government and the lifetime achievement Sahitya Sharada Puraskar by the Goa Government and Kala Academy’s award for his collection of poems ‘Zaio-Zuio’.
The two-day symposium, ‘Life and Works of Dr Manohar Rai Sardessai’ will be held at the Conference Hall, Administration Building, Goa University, on March 13 and 14. It will be inaugurated by Prof Vijayalakshmi Rao, professor at the Centre for French and Francophone Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi in the presence of Prof Harilal B Menon, Vice Chancellor of Goa University, Prof Anuradha Wagle, Convenor and Dean, SGSLL, Anthony Gomes, co-convenor and Dr Hanumant Chopdekar, co-convenor. The keynote address will be presented by Shailendra Mehta, who served as a Research Assistant on the Konkani Encyclopedia Project at Goa University under the mentorship of Dr Sardesai during the 1990s.
This will be followed by a paper presentation on ‘Dr. Manohar Rai Sardessai and French’ by Dr Frederick Noronha (Chair) Dr. Edith Noronha Melo Furtado and Prof (Dr) Anuradha Wagle. 'Mogachi Yaad', will be a special tribute to Dr Sardessai by Maya Sardessai, Dr Shakuntala Bharne, and Sarojini Antao e Sousa.There will be a round table discussion on the topic ‘Dr Manohar Rai Sardessai: Echoes of Wisdom, with Sandesh Prabhudesai, Shashikant Sardessai, Abhay Sardesai, and Fr Joaquim Loiola Pereira. The day will conclude with a screening of the documentary of Sahitya Akademi film directed by Sudesh S Lotlikar from the archives of Sahitya Akademi on Dr Manohar Rai Sardessai.
The second day will have a fresh start with a paper presentations on 'Dr. Manohar Rai Sardessai and Konkani' by Vasant Bhagwant Sawant (chair), Dr Purnanand Chari, Umesh Sardessai and Gorak Srisat followed by sessions on multilingual poetry recitation by the faculty members of Goa University. The next session is special as it features an interaction of Dr Sardessai’s poems with the young generation. The students of Shenoi Goembab School of Languages and Literature participated in a contest where they had to take a poem of Dr Sardessai and portray it through a painting, photograph, collage or digital art for poetry visualisation. Konkani writer and editor, Adv Uday Bhembre will be the chief guest for the valedictory ceremony. The symposium will conclude with a concert.
With over 30 years of teaching experience, Prof Dr Anuradha Wagle nuradha Wagle, is currently Dean of Goa University's Shenoi Goembab School of Languages and Literature. She has translated poems of Dr Manohar Rai Sardessai into French, and has collaborated for the publication of the trilingual book, ‘My Song-Ma Chanson-O Meu Canto (2008). Having been awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et Des Lettres and the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the French Government, she has recently, in August 2022, taken over as President of the Alliance Française de Panaji in Goa.
“This is the first symposium on Dr Sardessai at the school level too as a tribute to this literary genius. We have already received 114 registrations from schools and colleges. His works in Konkani, Marathi, French, Portuguese and English including his translation works will be discussed and fond memories will be shared by family and friends,” says Dr Anuradha Wagle.
The symposium is open to all and received a great response. “We received a huge response from the family, students, faculty and admirers of Dr Sardessai. Most importantly, we received the absolute unstinted support of the vice chancellor Prof Harilal B Menon and Goa University,” says Dr Anuradha.
Prof Anthony informs, “Besides the three children of Dr Sardessai, his youngest brother, Shashikant and his nephew, Abhay will be participating in the symposium. Some of his students include Dr. Edith Noronha Melo Furtado and Sarojini Antao e Sousa.”
Manohar Rai Sardessai had three children, Sunil, Maya and Umesh. Interestingly, they all followed their father’s passion for writing and poetry and will be part of this two-day symposium. Sunil Sardessai will be instrumental in organising the symposium with the Goa University while Maya will be speaking on ‘Mogachi Yaad’ at 2 pm on March 13 and Umesh, will be presenting a paper on the theme, ‘Dr Manohar Rai Sardessai and Konkani’ on March 14 at 10 am. In 2023, Umesh was awarded Konkani Bhasha Mandal’s Manohar Rai Sardesai Memorial Children's Literature Award for his book, ‘Hundir Babule’.
For Maya, he was a doting father at home and a lecturer in college and University. “My father was a very nice and cordial when it came to being in class, he was very serious and involved. He was great with communication with all the students and his students still talk about him. He was a Konkani lecturer when I was a Second Year BA student at Dhempe College of Arts and Science, Miramar and then he taught me French when I was pursuing my MA in French at Goa University, where he was the Head of the department,” says Maya Sardessai, vice principal at Vasantrao Dempo Higher Secondary School in Cujira.
With a Master's degree in English and French and a BEd from Nirmala Institute of Education, Maya has 27 years of teaching experience. She feels pride when she finds her father’s name in the school and college textbooks in form of poems or short stories. “My father was very fond of children and he had high regards for teachers. I remember when we were growing up, he would write poems and would enact them for us. He would sing with his own simple tunes. He would say that if you have too much of music, then you are hiding the words and verses of the poem. He used to write a lot for children and his poems were also part of the syllabus. Even when he was very sick in his final days, he would tell us to write down the poems for him,” says Maya.
Speaking about keeping his legacy alive in the minds of children and young adults to inspire the next generation, she says, “There should be lots of activities, recitations and organisations should hold different competitions for children and students.”
