Konkani is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Konkani people,primarily in the Konkan region,along the western coast of India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages mentioned in the Indian Constitution,and the official language of the Indian state of Goa. It is also spoken in Karnataka,Maharashtra,Kerala,Gujarat as well as Damaon,Diu &Silvassa.
Ravindra Kelekar was a noted Indian author who wrote primarily in the Konkani language,though he also wrote in Marathi and Hindi. A Gandhian activist,freedom fighter and a pioneer in the modern Konkani movement,he was a well known Konkani scholar,linguist,and creative thinker. Kelekar was a participant in the Indian freedom movement,Goa's liberation movement,and later the campaign against the merger of the newly formed Goa with Maharashtra. He played a key role in the founding of the Konkani Bhasha Mandal,which lead the literary campaign for the recognition of Konkani as a full-fledged language,and its reinstatement as the state language of Goa. He authored nearly 100 books in the Konkani language,including Amchi Bhas Konkaneech,Shalent Konkani Kityak,Bahu-bhashik Bharatant Bhashenche Samajshastra and Himalayant,and also edited Jaag magazine for more than two decades.
The 1967 Goa status referendum popularly known as the Goa Opinion Poll was a referendum held in newly annexed union territory of Goa and Damaon in India,on 16 January 1967,to deal with the Konkani language agitation and to decide the future of Goa.
The Goa liberation movement was a movement which fought to end Portuguese colonial rule in Goa,Portuguese India. The movement built on the small scale revolts and uprisings of the 19th century,and grew powerful during the period 1940–1961. The movement was conducted both inside and outside Goa,and was characterised by a range of tactics including nonviolent demonstrations,revolutionary methods and diplomatic efforts. However,Portuguese control of its Indian colonies ended only when India invaded and annexed Goa in 1961,causing a mixture of worldwide acclaim and condemnation,and incorporated the territories into India.
Manohar Rai Sardesai was a Konkani poet,writer and French translator from Goa,India. He received his Doctorat ès lettres françaises for his thesis "L'image de l'Inde en France" from the University of Sorbonne. He has been credited for an upsurge of modern Konkani poetry. Sardesai died in 2006.
Goykānaḍī or Kandavī is a Brahmic script that was once used in the territory of Goa to write Konkani and sometimes Marathi in the Konkan coast. Similarly,it was used by the trading Saraswat and Daivajna families along with the Modi script to maintain their accounts.
The Konkani language agitations were a series of protests and demonstrations in India,concerning the uncertain future of the Konkani language. They were held by Goans in the former territory of Goa,Daman and Diu;then under the administration of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP). The protests involved citizen journalism,student activism &political demonstrations. The civil unrest ceased when official status for Konkani in the Devnagari script was granted.
Krishnadas Shama was a Goan author belonging to the Gaud Saraswat Brahmin community. He was born in the village of Quelossim in Goa and was the author of Krishna Charitrakatha. According to verses (ovis) 245–250 of this work,it was commenced on 25 April 1526,or Vaishakh Shukla of shake 1448 according to the Hindu calendar. The original manuscript of this work was discovered by Mariano Saldanha in the Public Library of Braga in Portugal. The work consists of 19 chapters (ovesvaru) and 3,123 verses (ovis). It is a rendering of the Tenth canto (Adhyaya) of the Bhagavata Purana and may be the first extant prose work by a Goan in the Marathi language.
Sunaparant was a Konkani newspaper in Devanagari script. Based in Goa,India,it operated from 1987 to 2015. It published a special magazine during the Ganesh Chaturthi annual festival. Sunaparant was started on 13 May 1987,after Konkani was made the official language on 4 February that year,after a prolonged struggle by Goans.
Damodar Mauzo is an Indian short story writer,novelist,critic and script writer in Konkani. He was awarded the 57th Jnanpith Award,India's highest literary honour,in 2022,Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983 for his novel Karmelin and the Vimala V. Pai Vishwa Konkani Sahitya Puraskar award for his novel Tsunami Simon in 2011. His collection of Short stories Teresa's Man and Other Stories from Goa was nominated for the Frank O'Connor International award in 2015. He has served as a member of the executive board,general council,as well as the finance committee of the Sahitya Akademi.
Konkani literature is literature in the Konkani language,mostly produced in three scripts:Roman,Devanagari and Kannada. Konkani literature is eligible for the Sahitya Akademi Award.
John Aguiar is an Indian Konkani poet,writer,songwriter and journalist whose songs have been broadcast over the All India Radio network,mainly in Goa and on CDs.
Prashanti Talpankar is an Indian writer,translator,playwright,and actor. She is a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize for her work in Konkani. She currently serves as an associate professor at Dnyanprassarak Mandal's College.
Paresh Narendra Kamat is an Indian Konkani poet.
Shakuntala Bharne is an Indian vocalist,writer,poet and announcer at All India Radio. She is a writer and activist of the Konkani language agitation.
Tanaji Halarnkar was a Konkani scholar,columnist and former editor of the Konkani Encyclopedia. Halarnkar played a prominent role in the pro-Konkani language agitation in the Goa of the 1980s,and also in the wider movement for the promotion of the Konkani language in Goa and other parts of western coastal India. His other contributions include helping develop scientific and technical terminology for Konkani. He was involved with organising Konkani literary events,authored books,and did his Ph.D. on the gram panchayats of Goa.
Matheus Correia,known professionally as Comedian Selvy,was an Indian comedian,actor,playwright,singer,director,and producer known for his work in Konkani films and tiatr productions. One of the greatest Konkani comedians of his generation,he was noted mainly for his comedy performances and was deemed as "Goa's most loved comedian".
John Claro Fernandes,known professionally as John Claro,is an Indian writer,theatre director,playwright,and actor. Throughout his extensive career,he has made crucial contributions to the development and advancement of Goan tiatr. His noted research on the history of tiatr led to the discovery that the inaugural tiatr production,titled Italian Bhurgo,took place on 17 April 1892,at the New Alfred Theatre in Bombay,presently occupied by the Police Commissioner headquarters.
Narayan Ramnath Mauzo,also known as Bhau,was an Indian language activist and businessman who was involved in the establishment of the Konkani Bhasha Mandal (KBM) and served as its treasurer. He played a key role in the founding of the organization and was actively involved in supporting a Konkani medium school. Mauzo was an experienced participant in the Konkani movement.
