Eminent Konkani poet, Manoharrai Sardessai dead

The celebrated Konkani poet, popularly known as ‘Lok-Kavi’, Dr Manoharrai Laxmanrao Sardessai passed away in a city hospital after a brief illness late tonight. He was 81 and is survived by wife, Ms Pramilabai Sardessai, two sons, Sunil and Umesh and a married daughter Ms Maya.

All family members of the veteran Konkani poet were beside him when the end came in, family sources said. Funeral procession will leave his residence at Vanarai Apartment, St Inez for St Inez crematorium tomorrow at 12 noon.

Hailing from Savoi Verem village, Dr Sardessai, son of Konkani and Marathi author, late Laxmanrao Sardessai, was born in Panaji in 1925. He pursued his education in Goa, Mumbai and Paris. Dr Sardessai did his doctorate in French with distinction at Paris University. He stood first in MA examination (French and Marathi) from the Bombay University. He worked as a French lecturer in Wilson College and Ruparel College in Mumbai. He also taught French at Chowgule College, Margao and the Centre of Post-Graduate Instruction and Research of Bombay University. He was also head of French department at the Goa University.

He leaves behind vast oeuvre in Konkani. A recipient of the Sahitya Academy award for his collection of poems ‘Pissolim’ (1980), Dr Sardessai was honoured with Sahitya Sharada Puraskar of the state government for lifetime achievement. He bagged Kala Academy’s award for his collection of poems ‘Zaio-Zuio’. Besides, Dr Sardessai had other literary awards to his credit.

Dr Sardessai presided over the 8th All-India Konkani Conference held in Margao in 1962. He edited Konkani Bhasha Mandal’s magazine ‘Saad’, and for some years also edited ‘Novem Goem’. He was president of the Konkani Bhasha Mandal for three years.

Dr Sardessai had been at the vanguard of the Konkani movement for the last six decades. He vehemently fought for recognition of the Sahitya Academy to Konkani and later to make it as an official language of the state. Dr Sardessai also played a prominent role in the historic Opinion Poll of 1967.

The nursery rhyme ‘Hadvotall Bebo, Shetamerer Ubo’ is on the tip of the tongue of every child who has studied Konkani, while another poem ‘Hi Lokshai’ is a sarcastic comment on present-day political system.

His literary works include Aiz Dholar Padli Badi, Goeam Tujea Moga Khatir, Jaipunyabhu Jai Bharata and Bebyache Kazar, Zaio-Zuio, Pissolim, Bhangrachi Kurad, Mankuli Geetam, Manohar Geetam and God God Geetam.

His other works include Aamchi Bhas Aamkam Jai, Shenoi Goembab, Sahitya Suvad, Jaducho Kombo, Vivekanand and Devachim Utaram.

Dr Sardessai also wrote plays namely Smuggler and Birad Badallem. His English work An Anthology of Modern Konkani Poems is also well known.

Dr Sardessai penned songs for Konkani films like Jeevit Aamchem Ashem and Shitu