Daijiworld Media Network— Goa (CN)

Vasco, Jul 6: ‘Shenoi Goembab, the father of modern Konkani literature, was a great visionary whose mission and courage of conviction made laudable contribution in awakening and uniting the Goan community which ultimately resulted in success at the opinion poll in 1967 and ultimately brought statehood to Goa in 1987,’ said noted poet Yusuf A Sheikh, on Friday, July 4.

He was speaking at a function organized by the ‘Konkani Bhash Mandal’ at Keshav Smriti High School, Dabolim, to mark the birth anniversary of Shenoi Goembab.

‘Shenoi Goembab has a historic record of coming out with 22 books in Devanagri script and seven books in Roman script, despite the fact that there was no readership at the time,’ said Sheikh. ‘But for this awakening force, voting pattern of the majority community in totality would have been different and the results at the opinion poll would have caused permanent loss of Goan identity,’ he added.

Ashok Chodankar, editor of Konkani periodical ‘Konkonn Divo’, paid rich tributes to the litterateur and said that Shenoi Goembab worked with a missionary zeal sans any inhibitions and brought honour to Goa and the Goan community.

Earlier the headmistress of the school, Sushma Korgaonker, inaugurated the function by lighting the traditional lamp. Chief of the Vasco Konkani Bhasha Mandal, Santosh Kerkar, and journalist Kelly Furtado, as well as a large number of Konkani lovers and students were present on the occasion.

In the ‘kavi sammelan’ that followed, Sachin Shirodker, Santosh Kerker, Yugali Kerker, Ashok Chodankar, and Yusuf Sheikh, presented their poems.