Mumbai: Dr Gerry Niddodi and Rons Bantwal Bag 'Divo Sahitya Puraskar 2007’
Media release
Mumbai, Sep 26: This year's prestigious ‘Divo Sahitya Puraskar 2007’, carrying a cash award of Rs 50,000 has been shared by two well-known Konkani figures, one each from Udupi and Mangalore.
Divo Puraskar winners - Dr Gerald Pinto and Rons Bantwal
The winners are Dr Gerald Pinto (Gerry Niddodi) and daijiworld's Mumbai correspondent Rons Bantwal. Either of them will get the shared amount of Rs 25,000 each, a citation and a memento.
Dr Gerald Pinto has been a lecturer at Milagres College, Kallianpur, Udupi since 1981 and a senior Konkani writer for about 34 years. Rons Bantwal is a popular journalist and activist in Mumbai and Mangalore. He is associated with a number of Konkani and Kannada publications and websites.
Panel of jury - Francis Fernandes Cascia, Navin Kulshekar, S Lobo, Louis D'Almeida and Austin D'Souza
They have been chosen from a number of entries received earlier, by a specially appointed panel of juries comprising Francis Fernandes Cascia (playwright and actor), Navin Kulshekar, (Konkani writer), S Lobo (Konkani writer), Louis D’Almeida (social activist) and Austin D’Souza (Konkani activist).
Selection of candidates for the award is made on the basis of excellent contribution towards Konkani. Dr Gerald Pinto (50) has served Konkani with his writings and as an activist. He has written for several Konkani periodicals including Divo. Rons Bantwal (37), besides being the Mumbai correspondent of daijiworld, actively provides latest news reports and pictures to a large number of Konkani and Kannada periodicals.
The cash amount of Rs 50,000 is raised by reserving a portion of advertisement amount in the ‘Divo' Mount Mary special issue published during first week of September 2007. The award will be presented to the winners at a grand function which will be held at a specially decorated ‘Francis Fernandes Cascia Matov’ sometime in November/December 2007.
The award ceremony will include Konkani cultural items. Earlier award-winners have Ronald Pereira, Molly Lobo, P D’Souza, Eddie Netto, Fr Norbert Fernandes, the late Amiyar Bombay, Fr Pratap Naik SJ and Valley Quadras Ajekar, Cyprian Albuquerque, Concepta Alva, Fr V J. Menezes OFM Cap., and Wilfred Fernandes.
Divo, a popular illustrated Konkani weekly in Kannada scripwith a large readership is published from Mumbai over the last thirteen years t is widely read in Karnataka, Mumbai and in Gulf countries as well. The award of this nature is being given for the seventh year running. Divo is a sister publication of The Secular Citizen.