Six Konkani stalwarts to be awarded by DKA

PANAJI: The

Dalgado

Konknni Akademi (DKA) on Sunday will confer its annual Dalgado Puroskar on six persons who have contributed to preserving and promoting Konkani literature in the Roman script and

Goan

culture.

Jess Fernandes, who has written over 30 books, will be awarded the Dalgado Sahitya Puroskar for 2017, DKA president Tomazinho Cardozo announced at a press conference. His ouevre includes poetry, novels, tiatr scripts, and one-act plays. The Dalgado Sonvskrutik Puroskar will be awarded to John Claro Fernandes, a thespian of the tiatr stage. Another tiatr legend,

Premanand Lotlikar

, will be awarded the Dalgado Konknni Seva Puroskar.

The Joel D’Souza Daiz Puroskar, named after the late Joel D’Souza, a pioneer of propagating Goan culture online, will be awarded to Joquim Jose Lawrence Fernandes, who has promoted Goan culture in India abroad.

Michael Gracias, a script writer of Konkani tiatrs and lyricist of Konkani songs, besides being editor of a Konkani monthly magazine, will receive the Fr Freddy J. Da Costa Potrkarita Puroskar, named after the late Fr Freddy da Costa, a Konkani journalist and the DKA’s founder president.

Victor Hugo Gomes, the founder and curator of

Goa Chitra Musuem

, will also be conferred with an award for his efforts to showcase the cultural heritage of Goa through his museum.