Parkonnim has everyone guessing as Kuwait-Goan has the last laugh

VASCO: A Goan woman working in Kuwait has bagged a unique heritage quiz in a competition that had enthused Konkanis residing in various nooks of the world to answer 50 easy and difficult riddles – an indication that Goa’s oral traditions are alive somehow.
Parkonnim or humannim (riddles) were an integral part of Goa’s cultural traditions when elders and others posed these brain teasers as a pastime, but change in lifestyles and other factors have meant their use has faded, somewhat in recent years.
In a bid to revive the colourful traditions, Chicalim Bio-Crusaders, a group documenting their biodiversity, had organised the quiz, ‘Parkonnem – Kitem Tem Sang’ for the second year, stirring interest among Goans across the state and even globally.
That Aquila Rodriques, a professional who now has a house in Verna and works in Kuwait, turned out to be a storehouse of the fading knowledge surprised not only the organisers but two other co-winners, Raisa Fernandes and Ashley Afonso. “Both Fernandes and Afonso were also the first competition joint winners and had already experienced the joy of holding aloft the trophy. In a big gesture to promote heritage and impressed that Rodrigues took part all the way from Kuwait, they showed a big heart in offering the position to her,” Cyril Fernandes, convener of Chicalim Bio-Crusaders said.
The 50 riddles released on social media over a couple of months had created much buzz. The competition itself took shape under interesting circumstances. George Varkey, a Kerala resident who was born and brought up in Goa, promptly offered support to the idea of a parkonnem competition after the Chicalim group mooted the idea.
Varkey, who came down specially to attend the prize distribution function from the southern state on Friday, gushed, “This is very interesting and a good activity,” he said.
The unexpected response has proved heartening for the organisers. “Our heritage appears to be impacted in recent years, but the tremendous response shows that Goans are still interested in our legacy and concerned in preserving it,” Fr Bolmax Pereira, local parish priest and an environmental activist said.
Rodrigues, the competition winner, was not much interested initially and unsure about accuracy of her answers. “But after answering a few and receiving encouragement from organisers, I decided not to give up,” Rodrigues said.
After the third and final competition next year, the organisers hope to collect the parkonnim in a book. The huge response has prompted the organisers to urge art and culture department to take the competition to a higher level. “We did what is best within our constraints, but after the encouraging cultural impact of it, we feel the department should raise the bar,” Fernandes said.