"Student Literary Conferences are Essential for the Survival of Mother Tongues; St. Aloysius Deemed to be University Chancellor Rev. Dr. Praveen Martis SJ"

Mangalore: The 51st Foundation Day of Konkani Bhasha Mandal Karnataka, in collaboration with St. Aloysius Deemed to be University and its Konkani Department and Association, marked the inaugural one-day Konkani Student Literary Conference on Saturday, January 4, at Eric Mathias Hall, St. Aloysius Deemed to be University, Mangalore.

The conference was inaugurated by Rev. Dr. Praveen Martis SJ, Vice Chancellor of St. Aloysius Deemed to be University, who played the traditional Konkani folk instrument, the Gumta. In his address, he emphasized the importance of promoting the mother tongue in educational institutions rather than lamenting its decline. He suggested that schools and universities could make the mother tongue more engaging by incorporating it into various attractive programs while also emphasizing the importance of learning English. Dr. Martis affirmed that St. Aloysius Institute is committed to encouraging students to embrace their mother tongue alongside their academic education.

Vasant Bhagwant Sawant, the Working President of Konkani Academy Goa and the chief guest of the event, received an honor and spoke about the variations in Konkani between Goa and Karnataka. He announced efforts to identify equivalent words for these regional differences.

Academy Research Assistant Dattaraja Nayka and Secretary Parag Nagarsekar were also honored and delivered their felicitations.

Dr. Ronald Nazreth, Registrar of St. Aloysius University, assured that the institution would continue to offer opportunities for higher education in Konkani.

K.Vasantha Rao, President of Konkani Bhasha Mandal Karnataka, also addressed the gathering, speaking about the importance of the conference.

Raymond D'Cunha Taccode, Secretary of Konkani Bhasha Mandal Karnataka, welcomed the attendees, while Dr. Sevrin Pinto, the event coordinator, felicitated the guests. The program was contributed by Flora Castellino, Head of the Konkani Department.

The narration was done by student Clevita D'Souza, with students Jeethan D'Souza and Prafulla Norona present on stage.

Young achievers Wencita Dias, Adv. Roshan Lobo, Jasmine Lobo, Remona Pereira and Glanish Jude Martis moderated a panel discussion on both online and offline platforms.

Raymond D'Cunha Taccode also organized a "Shabdulim" activity, which helped students learn the differences between Konkani words with similar meanings in various dialects of Goa and Karnataka.

The event featured several inter-school and inter-college cultural competitions, with participants receiving cash prizes, certificates, and trophies.

The valedictory session was presided over by Fr. Melwyn D'Cunha SJ, Pro Vice-Chancellor of St. Aloysius Deemed to be University. Fr. Prashantha Madtha SJ, who established the Konkani Department at St. Aloysius College 30 years ago, was honored during the session.

Rotarian Dr. Alwyn D'Sa, Registrar of St. Aloysius Deemed to be College, delivered the closing speech. He praised the organization of the first full-day Konkani Student Literary Conference at St. Aloysius and expressed gratitude to the President and members of the Executive Committee. He assured the college's continued support for such initiatives that benefit the students.

Satyawan Naik, Professor at MES College, Goa, and students Keith (Aloysius College) and Kevin (Padua College) shared their experiences.

The Head of the Konkani Department at St. Aloysius College, Flora Castellino, welcomed and felicitated Prafulla. The session was narrated by Ishita Bennis.

KBMK President K. Vasantha Rao, Secretary Raymond D'Cunha, and other key figures, including convener Dr. Sevrin Pinto, student coordinator Jeethan D'Souza, and Konkani association Secretary Prafulla Norona, were also on stage.