H M Pernal among three selected for Konkani Academy honorary awards

Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy has selected three persons for its honorary awards for the year 2022.

The selected for the honorary awards are H M Pernal from Mangaluru (literature), Ramesh Kamath from Bengaluru (Art) and Kumuda Gadakar from Karwar (folk). The award carries a cash prize of Rs 50,000, a citation, a certificate, said Academy president Dr K Jagadish Pai.

The awards will be conferred on September 18 at Kashi Mutt hall in Malleshwaram in Bengaluru. Minister for Higher Education Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, Kannada and Culture Minister V Sunil Kumar will be the chief guests.

Academy’s tri-monthly magazine ‘Konkani Siri Sampada,’ ‘Parichaya pusthaka’ on the award winners, and Academy’s publications ‘Bhumykamp,’ ‘Brigana Sangile Pulla Kalyo’ will be released on the occasion.

H M Pernal has been engaged in writing stories and poems. He is also a critic and columnist. He has written over 750 poems, 100 small stories and over 2,000 articles, essays and others. He runs a publication house in Konkani under the banner Kittal publications.

Ramesh Kamath is engaged in play, cinema, literature and social works. He has produced and directed three Konkani movies. He had directed and produced ‘Jana mana’ first Saraswath Konkani movie.

Kumuda Gadakar has been engaged in promoting Konkani folk arts like ‘Dhalo,’ ‘Mando,’ ‘Magadi,’ ‘Thoneyach,’ ‘Deepa Malayanate’ and others for the last 55 years.

Konkani Natakotsava

Dr K Jagadish Pai said that the Academy will organise Konkani Natakotsava from September 26 to October 1, at Don Bosco Hall in Mangaluru between 7 pm and 9 pm. Six plays will be staged during Natakotsava. Konkani is spoken by 42 communities in Karnataka. The plays will be staged by six communities including Christians, GSB and RSB.

No book award

The Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy normally announces book awards along with honorary awards. For the book awards, books that are published from January 1, 2022 till December 31, 2022 are considered. As there is still time for the end of the year, the book awards are not announced. Further, the term of academy members and president will end in October, he said.