Rich tributes paid to Manohar Sardessai

The stalwart of Konkani movement and Gandhian, Ravindra Kelekar today said that late Dr Manohar Sardessai’s leadership quality and inspiration through poems had won the Opinion Poll.Kelekar was speaking at the condolence meeting organised by various literary organisations at the Institute Menezes Braganza hall, here this evening. He said the need of the hour was to see that late Dr Sardessai’s literature for children reach every Goan house.

A close associate of late Dr Sardessai, Antonio Piedade Moraes said late poet had written on various subjects and enriched the Konkani language. He further said late Dr Sardessai had respect for even simple Konkani movement workers and guided them.

“Dr Sardessai was the president of Konkani Bhasha Mandal, when Konkani was undergoing a difficult phase, but Dr Sardessai gave inspiration to young Konkani supporters and today Konkani has achieved its place of honour in the Constitution and became the official language of Goa,” he added.

Piedade said the primary education should be imparted in Konkani and government should introduce compulsory Konkani subject from class V to SSC. “Dr Sardessai had cherished this dream and we should work to achieve it,” Piedade said.

The assistant director of Panaji station of All India Radio, Mr Mhadav Borkar said that late Dr Sardessai had contributed immensely to Akashwani and paid tribute on behalf of AIR to the departed poet. N Shivdas of All India Konkani Parishad, said that late Dr Sardessai’s poems were deeply rooted in the hearts of Goans.

Prakash Padgoankar of Konkani Lekhak Sangh, said a large number of Konkani poets had taken inspiration from late Dr Sardessai’s poems. The president of Goa Konkani Academy, Mr Pundalik Naik said that late Dr Sardessai was the vice-president of GKA and recalled the contribution of the departed poet for the documentation of folklore and dictionary, the major project of the GKA.

“The GKA has decided to publish the unpublished literature of late Dr Sardessai under the title ‘Saglo Bazaar’,” he informed. Udai Bhembre of Asmitai Pratishthan said that late Dr Sardessai displayed spirited leadership qualities during the Konkani movement and carried forward the tradition of Xennoi Goembab.

Tomazinho Cardozo of Dalgado Konkani Academy said late Dr Sardessai was a good leader and wrote in both scripts so that his works was understood by both the major communities.

Others who spoke were, the vice-president of the Institute Menezes Braganza, Mr Mohandas Surlekar, Dr Bhicaji Ghanekar, Mr N A Kulkarni. The meeting was compered by the KBM president, Mr Purnanand Chari. Late Dr Sardessai’s sons, Mr Sunil Sardessai and Mr Shashikant Sardessai were present.