Konkani Sahitya Ratha to begin touring schools on June 18

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, June 18, 2012: Kasargod Chinna, president of the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy, told reporters at a press meet held in Press Club on June 18, Monday that the academy will flag off its Konkani Sahitya Ratha on June 21, Thursday.

He said that the Konkani Sahithya Ratha will be a mega book donation campaign, in the course of which 18 thousand books worth Rs. 10 lakh will be distributed to more than 120 schools free of charge.

Prof. Narendra L. Nayak, president of Expert Educational Trust, will inaugurate the campaign at a formal ceremony, which will be held at 10:00 a.m. at Lourdes Central School on Thursday. Kasargod Chinna will preside over the event. Eric Ozerio, gurkar of Mandd Sobhann, and Moses Jayashekar, DK district deputy director of public instruction, will be the chief guests. Fr. Ferdinand Gonsalves, principal of Lourdes Central School, and Dr. Victor Machado, correspondent, will also be present.

Revealing details about the campaign, he said that it will stop at 3:00 p.m. on Friday at Canara Girls’ High School in Dongerkery, after visiting 19 schools. Krishna J. Palemar, former minister and MLA of Suratkal, will deliver the valedictory speech. Shrikar Prabhu, BJP leader, and Pradeep Pai, managing director of Shri Krishna Dairy, will be the chief guests. Vaman Kamath, correspondent of Canara Girls’ Higher Primary School, will be present, he said.

Speaking about the academy’s plans for the future, he said that the academy will take up a number of activities in the near future. CM D. V. Sadananda Gowda will inaugurate the official website of the academy in one month. The academy will also organize a state convention of prominent film personalities and also Konkani Sugandha, a monthly program to encourage local Konkani artistes.

He also announced that the academy will give away a fellowship worth Rs. 1 lakh to as many as five people who choose to do research in Konkani. Besides, the academy also plans to organize a Konkani food festival called Khann Jevann, he added.