138th Birth Anniversary of Shenoi Goembab Celebrated at MES College

23rd June 2015

If at all the Konkani language has made any wholesome progress, and has received the honour and respect it deserved, it is only because of Shenoi Goembab, said the Sahitya Akademi Award winner Shri Prakash Padgaonkar. He expressed this opinion on the occasion of the celebration of 138^th Birth Anniversary of Shenoi Goembab, at MES College, Zuarinagar, where he was invited as the Chief Guest. The Principal of the College, Dr. R.B. Patil, Vice-Principal Shri Vasant Sail and the Head, Department of Konkani Prof. Satyawan Naik were also present on the dais. 

Shri Padgaonkar, while further speaking to the audience, said that there was a time when Konkani was not accepted as a language at all. It was looked down upon as it did not have a literature of its own. That was when Shenoi Goembab accepted the challenge posed by the opponents and he took it up upon himself to create all kinds of writing in order to raise the standard of the Konkani language. He also added that if Shenoi Goembab had not begun with this movement, then Konkani language would not have had an existence of its own. Shenoi Goembab and his writing is like a lamp that was lit on the rock of Konkani that was lost in darkness. 

Shri Padgaonkar in his speech compared Shenoi Goembab to the character of Eklavya from the Mahabharata. In the Mahabharata, Dronacharya cunningly cheated Eklavya, but Shenoi Goembab did not fall prey to any deception and he worked his entire life to give Konkani an identity of its own. 

The function commenced by the delivery of the Welcome Address by Principal Dr. R. B. Patil. Prof. Satyawan Naik an introduced the guests and shed light on the departmental activities.  Ms. Excil Pereira welcomed the guests by offering flowers. Shri Padgaonkar then paid tributes to Shenoi Goembab by garlanding his photograph. This was followed by the felicitation of Ms. Ashwini Chari, an ex-student of the College, for qualifying in UGC-NET. Vice Principal Shri Vasant Sail proposed the vote of thanks. The programme was compered by Prof. Gorak Sirsat.  The function was attended in large numbers by students and teachers which included Prof. B.V. Kolekar, Prof. Sandeep Kadam, Prof. Champa Parab, Prof. Ashish Joshi and Prof. Nikita Morajkar.