The Kerala Konkani Sahitya Academy to be headquartered here, would soon become a reality.
Payyannur Ramesh Pai, who has been appointed as the academy chairman said that the sole purpose of the body would be the promotion of Konkani literature in the state.
“There has been a huge void when it comes to the maintaining of the purity of the language in Konkani literature. Dearth of funds is the main reason behind it. With the intervention of the government, the activities to promote Konkani literature would receive a boost,” he said. Recognition from the government would boost the morale of writers that the support received from private agencies, he noted.
District Collector P I Sheik Pareeth, who is the treasurer of the Kerala Konkani Sahitya Academy, said that Chief Minister Oommen Chandy would inaugurate the academy on Saturday.
Ramesh Pai pointed out that the establishment of an academy became a priority with the Konkani writers getting scant help to write or publish books.
There are instances when the writers were refused help from government institutions both in the state and outside.“When the writers approached the Kerala Sahitya Academy, they were refused help straight away. The Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy could not be of much help either owing to the inability to function outside its jurisdiction. As a last resort, the writers approached the Goa Konkani Sahitya Academy. Owing to differences in the dialects, the move was also dropped. Hence, the need for such an organisation has become a necessity,” he noted.
The Konkani community is scattered across the state. “We hope that the platform would also serve as a bridge to promote our works outside the state and also assimilate elements from the Konkani community spread across the country,” said the officials of the academy.