Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai on Saturday said Konkani is qualitatively rich in its literature though it is spoken by few lakhs people and called Jnanpith Awardee Damodar Mauzo the epitome of that literary culture.
Pillai was speaking at the presentation of the prestigious Jnanpith Award ceremony to renowned writer Damodar Mauzo at Raj Bhavan Durbar hall, Dona Paula. On the occasion, Bharatiya Jnanpith Chairman Justice Virendra Jain, Art and Culture Minister Govind Gawade, poet and filmmaker Gulzar and others were present. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also participated in the presentation ceremony through video conferencing.
Speaking further, Pillai drew parallels of Charles Dickens and Damodar Mauzo, who he, said chose to portray orphaned children as their main character and through them declaring them the life lesson to ‘live in earnest’. Both these great writers have bravely `shown mirror to the society’ and called Mauzo as `the Indian Charles Dickens.’
“I feel proud and happier for bestowing this great award on the great Goan writer Damodarji,” the Governor said adding that Mauzo’s famous novel “Karmelin” received Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983. Mauzo is a `wisdom bridge’ connecting Konkani and other languages in the world, he said.
Gawade and Gulzar also spoke at the occasion, while the recipient Mauzo also replied to his honours,