Posthumously honour 3 Konkani stage stalwarts

Posthumously honour 3 Konkani stage stalwarts: meet
BY HERALD REPORTER

PANJIM, OCT 18, 2007 — A condolence meeting called on Thursday in the City made a fervent appeal to the State Government to posthumously honour three stalwarts of the Konkani stage C Alvares, Nelson Afonso and Prem Kumar.
Dalgado Konknni Akademi (DKA) President Tomazinho Cardozo was in the forefront to make the appeal at the meeting called to condole the deaths of Fr Moreno de Souza sj and Prem Kumar, both of whom passed away recently.
Cardozo recalled, “In the year 1969 Kumar was a super star and I had the opportunity to play a part alongside him. His tiatrs had scenes enacted that looked like movies, he remembered.
Speaking on Fr Moreno, he said no person would be able to forget the priest’s contribution to Konkani language. His four books on the churches of Goa constitute a proof of history and I sincerely wish somebody could translate these works into English, he added.
Apart from Cardozo, several tiatr artistes, priests, writers and other personalities, including friends, paid rich tributes to the two stalwarts of the Konkani language. Santa Cruz MLA Victoria Fernandes was also present.
Stage artist Ciriaco Dias, like Cardozo, also urged the Government to honour Prem Kumar and the others posthumously and reminded the gathering of the artist’s outstanding works like Mary Magdalene (tiatr) and Boglant (movie).
Another artist Fatima D’Souza recited a dialogue from one of Kumar’s dramas and showered accolades on him as a quality writer.
MLA Victoria Fernandes said the five minutes time allotted to her wouldn’t do justice to pay tributes to these pioneers of Konkani language and culture.
Fr Pratap Naik sj of Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr said condolence had no place in Christianity and Fr Moreno and his works would always be alive.
Fr Mathew Almeida sj, ex-director of TSKK recalling the works of the two said both were innovators in their respective fields.
Others who paid their tributes were Anil Kumar, Premanand Sangodkar (both tiatrists), Pundalik Naik (noted playwright and GKA president), Miguel Braganza (horticulturist), Purnanand Chari (Konknni Bhasha Mandal President), Salvador Fernandes (DKA Secretary) and Michael Gracias (Editor of Jivit).