Thomas Stephens
Konknni Kendr, Alto Porvorim, will
organize its annual ‘Fr. Antonio Pereira Konknni Puroskar’ ceremony on January
19, 2019 on its lush green lawns. During the ceremony the Kendr will bestow
various sponsored awards to eminent literary persons for their contribution to
Konkani literature and culture. A few sponsored scholarships will also be given
to deserving students.
The following are the recipients of the 2018 -2019 awards.
Fr. Ave Maria Afons instituted a ‘puroskar’ for a Seminarian, a
priest or a religious who works for the Konkani language in roman script. The
recipient of this award for the year 2018 is Fr. Dominic Alvares, a priest of
the Pilar Society. He has staged many tiatrs and has won awards for some of
them. He has also composed a couple of ‘mandos’ and devotional songs.
The ‘Dr. Jack Sequiera Konknni Puroskar’ was instituted by the
Fr. Concecao D’ Silva to encourage Goans, irrespective of gender, caste or
creed to work for the growth of Konkani language through writing in roman
script. Dr. Cosma Fernandes, the head of the Konkani Department in M.E.S.
College, Zuarinagar, Goa, is the recipient of this puroskar for the last
calendar year. He is a researcher, a stage and a folk artist. Much of his work
is in the field of Konkani tiatr. He is the first tiatrist to be awarded a
doctorate on Tiatr related topic.
The late Fr. Casmiro D’ Mello instituted a Puroskar for a Goan
social activist, who works continuously for the Konkani language in diverse ways.
Anthony Correia is the second recipient of this ‘Puroskar’. He has worked for
the Konkani language for the past 55 years and continues doing so.
Guadalupe Dias is the recipient of the ‘Valerio Carvalho Konknni
Puroskar 2018’, sponsored by Roque Carvalho. This ‘puroskar’ is given to a lady
Konkani writer who has contributed substantially to Konkani language during the
last calendar year. Guadalupe’s literary achievements include ‘Ghuimfodd’,
‘Mollobganga Jalasthqai’(Poetry), ‘Mamacho Ganv’(Nursery rhymes). She has also
contributed articles and poems for magazines and so too for dailies.
‘Fr.
Antonio Pereira Konknni Puroskar’ is awarded to a Goan, who has contributed
much in the field of language and culture for a period of 15 years and more.
The recipient for this puroskar this year is Fausto V. Da Costa. Fausto is a
versatile person and has contributed much towards Konkani language and
literature. He is a writer, a journalist, an editor, director and a producer.
He is the founder, editor and publisher of the bi-annual ‘The Goan Review’
magazine since its inception. He has contributed articles regularly to the
periodicals. He has written two Konkani novels, ‘Tujea Moga Khatir’ and
‘Opradhi Vo Niropradhi’. He has also written extensively on tiatrs. On the
occasion of 100 years of Konkani Tiatr, he published a research book
‘TiatraniTiatrist’ in 1994. He has also compiled and produced music cassettes
and compact discs of traditional Goan music. .
