Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy will distribute over 18,000 Konkani books worth Rs 10 lakh to as many as 120 educational institutions, informed Academy President Kasargod Chinna.
Speaking to media persons on Monday, he said that ‘Konkani Sahitya Ratha’ (Konkani literary chariot) will visit 120 schools in the city and distribute Konkani books to the school libraries on June 21 and 22.
The distribution programme is taken up as part of one of the major objectives of the Academy to open Konkani book divisions in the school libraries. The books will be distributed to the schools across Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and other districts in the later phases. The chariot will be inaugurated at Lourdes Central School, Bejai on June 21 at 10 am.
Experts Education Institution President Narendra Nayak will flag off the chariot, Academy President Kasargod Chinna will preside over, Mannd Sobhann Gurikar Eric Ozario and Deputy Director of Public Instructions Moses Jayashekhar will be the chief guests. Lourdes Central School Manager Dr Victor Machado and School Principal Ferdinand Gonsalves will be guests of honour.
The valedictory programme will be held on June 22 at Canara Girl’s School, Dongarakeri, at 3 pm. Mangalore North MLA Krishna J Palemar will deliver the valedictory address, Academy President Kasargod Chinna will preside over, Sri Krishna Dairy Private Ltd Managing Director Pradeep Pai will be the chief guests and Canara Girls Higher Primary School Correspondent Vaman Kamath wil be the guest of honour, he informed.
Plans in offing
Speaking about various plans chalked out by the Konkani Academy, Kasargod Chinna said there are plans to organise seven day Konkani festival where each day’s theme will be based on different Konkani speaking communities.
There are plans to organise the festival in collaboration with other regional language Academies including Tulu, Beary and Kodagu Sahtiya Academy.
“I have held informal talks with the other Academy Presidents on the idea of organising the festival and they have given positive response.
The festival might become a reality soon,” he said. Informing about other plans and programmes of the Academy, he said the Academy will offer research fellowship of Rs one lakh each to five students who wish to take up research studies in Konkani. The Academy will take the responsibility of publishing the research works.
Plans are also in the offing to organise special programmes such as Konkani food festival for women etc. The work on designing the Academy’s website has been taken up and the website will be launched within a month.
Among the students who had opted for Konkani language, 60 have passed with first class in the SSLC exam. The Academy will organise workshops for PUC students to teach and promote Konkani language, he said.