Michael D’Souza of VISION KONKANI to lead Reception Committee for All India Konkani Sammelan
Mangaluru: Staunch Konkani Supporter and Promoter of the ‘Vision Konkani’ Programme for the All-round Development of Konkani Language, Literature, and Culture Sri Michael D’Souza will be leading the Reception committee of the 25th All India Konkani Sahitya Sammelan as President. CA Nandagopal Shenoy, President of the World Konkani Centre, and Sahitya Akademi awardee Gokuldas Prabhu will be the Vice presidents. Konkani poet and thinker Titus Noronha will be the general secretary, and journalist H. M. Pernal will be the working president of the reception committee.
The 25th All India Konkani Sahitya Sammelan will be held at Basti Vaman Shenoy Stage in the premises of the World Konkani Centre on November 4 and 5. About 650 delegates from various parts of India are expected to attend the Sammelan, which Mangalore is hosting for the first time in the 84-year history of the All India Konkani Parishad, founded in 1939 by the late Madhav Manjunath Shanbaug of Kumta.
Abu Dhabi-based NRI entrepreneur and philanthropist Michael D’Souza originally hails from Puttur and is a constant supporter of Konkani activities and programmes in India and abroad. With his signature programme, ‘Vision Konkani’, he has empowered Konkani writers and Artists with a Konkani Book Publication Grant to the tune of Rs. 40 lakh, a K Konkani Music Grant to the tune of Rs.10 lakh, and a Konkani Feature Film Grant to the tune of Rs. 25 lakh. Publication of Konkani books, Production of Music Singles, and Feature film are under process under his visionary programme VISION KONKANI. He has established the EDU CARE scholarship programme for Konkani-speaking students for higher education under the supervision of CODP, Dioceses of Mangalore. So far, 3,500 students have benefited from this scholarship programme.
Various subcommittees were formed in the recently held preliminary meeting under the guidance of Sahitya Akademi Executive Council Member and convenor of Konkani Advisory Board at Sahitya Akademi, Poet Melvyn Rodrigues, Chetan Acharya, Executive President of All India Konkani Parishad, and Konkani educationist Dr Kasturi Mohan Pai at Nalanda English Medium School, V T Road, Mangalore.
Stephen Pinto, Bendur, and Oswald Rodrigues, Bejai, will be heading the Finance Committee, World Konkani Centre will be looking after Food and Venue, Smt Suchitra S Shenoy and Smt Felcy Lobo will be leading the Front Office and Volunteer Committee, Accommodation and transport will be managed by Vincent Pinto Anjelore, Floyd Kiran Moras, Nirkan, and Gerald Concesso. Dr Hanumanth Chopdekar and Dr Jayanti Naik are in charge of the Programme committee, and Smt Anwesha Singbhal will be heading the stage committee. The Media promotion Committee will be handled by Stany Bela and Praveen Tauro. Titus Noronha will be in charge of the Printing and Souvenir committee.
