Mangalore: Konkani Poet, Bakibab Borkar's Birth Centenary Celebrated
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Jun 14: Konkani poet, Balakrishna Bhagwant Borkar's birth centenary celebrations were held here at the World Konkani Centre, on Sunday, June 13. This day-long event was jointly organized by the Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation, in association with Kavita Trust.
Goa's freedom fighter as well as the Central Sahitya Akademi award winning poet, Nagesh Karmali, inaugurated the event by garlanding the portrait of Bakibab Borkar.
Being a student of Bakibab Borkar at a young age, and backed by the rich experience of having worked with him later, Nagesh Karmali portrayed Bakibab's life as well as his freedom struggle in a power-packed address, which succeeded in making the audiences feel proud of, and experience closeness to Bakibab. He recalled how Bakibab got transformed into a freedom fighter and resigned his job as a government teacher, the day after Dr Ram Manohar Lohia delivered speech at Margao on June 18, 1946. Karmali said Bakibab was a commercial person, but he had an emotional mind.
Karmali also remembered Bakibab's meetings with the then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. “Bakibab was a trendsetter in Marathi as well as Konkani poetry. He was one of the greatest Marathi poets after Jnaneshwari,” Karmali said. Bakibab was not only a talented poet but also was conscious about what he was writing. He practised what he preached, he added.
Earlier, Basti Vaman Shenoy, president, Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation, welcomed the gathering. He said Bakibab was a hero for the Konkani people. Melvyn Rodrigues, president, Kavita Trust, in his introductory remarks, noted, “Bakibab started writing in the thirties of the last century, at a time when most of the writers were influenced by Gandhiism and nationalism. But amongst all the poets of his time, Bakibab was the most powerful.”
Hemacharya, editor, daijiworld weekly, and member, Bakibab Birth Centenary Celebrations Committee, was also present on the dais. Venkatesh Baliga compered the inaugural session, which began with a prayer by Divya Sujir and Deeksha Sujir.
Later, a symposium was held on Bakibab's poems. Prof Narayan Desai, Goa moderated the session. Rajay Pawar presented his paper on the theme `Resistence in Bakibab's poems', whereas Bhushan Bhave spoke on the `linguistic aspects in Bakibab's poems'.
A poetry session was held in the afternoon. Konkani poet and critique H M Pernal presided. Poets Venkatesh Nayak, S N Saipangallu, Shakuntala R Kini, Wilma Bantwal, Jerry Rasquinha, Andrew L D'Cunha and Rajay Pawar recited some of their best poems.
Both the sysmposium and the poetry session was compered by Vitori Karkal.
`Noopura' - book of Kannada translations of Bakibab's poems was released by regional editor of Vijay Karnataka, Kannada daily, Mangalore, U K Kumaranath. These poems have been translated by Shakuntala R Kini.
`Poets never writes being inside the four walls. He lives with the common people and becomes responsive to their needs and aspirations though his poetry' Kumaranath said in his speech. `Let all the Konkanis be conscious about their roots. They must always have the love for their language. The struggle which got started through movements initiated by poets like Bakibab Borkar must continue even today' he continued.
Guru Baliga compered the programme.
Musical rendition of Bakibab's 8 poems was also held during the occasion. Music compositions were done by Ustad Rafique Khan. Vasanti R Shenoy, Ravindra Prabhu, Divya Sujir and Deeksha Sujir were on vocals. T G Gopalakrishnan, Gururaj M B, Gangadhar Kannur and Deepak Suratkal were on violin, keyboard, rhythm pad and tabla respectively.
Venkatesh Baliga proposed vote of thanks.