Pics: Meryick D'Silva
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (CLP)

Mangaluru, Sep 12: World Konkani Centre (WKC) on Saturday September 12 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Rashtrakavi Govinda Pai Memorial Trust (RGPMT), Manjeshwar in a ceremony held at WKC hall in the presence of former Karnataka chief minister Dr M Veerappa Moily, who is also the chairman of RGPMT.

The MoU has been signed to digitize 5,000 books of the personal collection of Rashtrakavi Govinda Pai which are being preserved by Rashtrakavi Govinda Pai Research Centre at MGM college, Udupi.

President and founder of World Konkani Centre Basti Vaman Shenoy welcomed the guests and thanked M Veerappa Moily for the support extended to World Konkani Centre.

Addressing the gathering, M Veerappa Moily said, "Govinda Pai was a man of inspiration; he was the Mount Everest of literature. He could inspire anyone through his literary work. He was a perennial river of knowledge and culture. We cherished the dream of building a memorial for Govinda Pai for three decades, and this time we are focused and have fixed a time frame, that is March 2016, by which to make the 'Gilivindu' memorial project ready. It will be a reality soon due to the support of P S Mohammed Sagir, district collector of Kasargod.

"The main aspects of the project are restoration of poet's residence, and construction of an auditorium 'Bhavanika'. It is a Rs 3-crore project and work is under progress. The cost of acoustics, light, sound, seating and stage setting is being done at around Rs 1.5 crore. There will be construction of three guest houses, namely 'Vvshakhi', 'Saaketa' and 'Ananda', among which 'Vvshakhi' and 'Saaketa' are already completed with MLA and MP funds of Rs 15 lac each. The third one is under construction under MLA fund of Rs 18 lac," he explained.

"The restoration of heritage and annexure buliding behind the residential building at a cost of around Rs 2 crore has been sanctioned by Karnataka and Kerala state governments. The front compound wall with the main gate will be constructed with the MP fund of Rs 12 lac. The remaning portion of the compound has already been constructed at a cost of Rs 6 lac released by Dr P Dayananda Pai," he added.

He further lauded Rashtrakavi Govinda Pai Research Centre for preserving the 5,000 books of Govinda Pai and thanked World Konkani Centre for the service rendered to society. "I am glad that World Konkani Centre is very active and has been organizing many events since its inception. It has provided Rs 12 crore as scholarship to 10,000 students over the last five years. WKC is an asset to the coastal region," he said.

D K Chowta, managing trustee of RGPMT, B A Vivek Rai, former vice-chancellor of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), P S Mohammed Sagir, district collector of Kasargod, Heranje Krishna Bhat, writer and director of Rashtrakavi Govinda Pai Research Centre and K Thejomaya among others were present.