THRISSUR: For V Krishna Vadyar, based at Irinjalakkuda, the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award for Best Children's book is a recognition of his work towards promoting Konkani language. But these awards hardly make a difference to him as he continues to pursue writing, be it in Malayalam or Konkani.
Born in Alappuzha, Vadyar, who retired as a senior superintendent from the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), has authored a handful of novels.
Of these, two were children's novels in Konkani.Vadyar was chosen for the prestigious national award for ‘Balu’ which narrates the story of a Konkani boy who collects scrap for a living. 'Devli', a novel by him, is also written in Konkani.
"Konkani is our mother tongue and we write it in the Devanagiri scipt. We belong to Gowda Saraswat Brahmin community. Through my books I tried to paint the life and culture of Konkani people, who have shrunk in numbers," said Vadyar.
History says Gowda Saraswat Brahmins had migrated to Kerala from Goa during the Portuguese invasion. They trace their origin to the mythical Saraswathy river.
Vadyar used to write novels in several vernacular magazines. He had been conferred the Mamman Mappila Novel Award, MP Paul Award, Kumkumam Award, the Award instituted by Konkani Prachar Sabha and SBT Balasahitya Award.
“Though, there is only a small group of people who speak Konkani language in the state, we keep the language and our tradition alive through families. At home and during gatherings we try to speak in Konkani,” he said. Vadyar and wife Valsala have been settled in Irinjalakkuda for the past 40 years. They have two children.