SOURCE: HERALD
Konkani is the language of focus at the Hyderabad Literary Festival 2023
The 13th edition of the Hyderabad Literary festival which will be held from January 27 to 29, will focus on Goan literature, culture and arts
Jnanpith Awardee Damodar Mauzo, Bardroy Baretto, Pritha Sardessai and Salil Chaturvedi, these are not just barrier breaking Goans but people who will be leading the way to introduce and give a better understanding of Konkani and the Goan culture at the Hyderabad Literary Festival (HLF). The annual festival will be organising its 13th edition from January 27 to 29 at Vidyaranya High School, Hyderabad. Besides the interactive programmes which include conversations, panel discussions, stage talks, readings, workshops, exhibitions, book launches, cultural programmes and film screenings, the venue will be decorated with art and installations that showcase life in Goa.
Every year, since 2013, the festival has focused on one Indian language and one foreign country. Though the festival was opened in 2010, this was implemented in 2013 being with Telugu. This year, the Guest Nation at HLF 2023 is Germany. Dr Stephan Grabherr, Deputy Head of Mission, German Embassy, New Delhi, will be the guest of honour at the inaugural session on January 27. Eminent Konkani writer and Jnanpith awardee Damodar Mauzo will be the chief guest at the inaugural session of the festival as Konkani is the Indian Language in Focus at HLF 2023.
Festival director, Dr T Vijay Kumar is currently teaching at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad, and is the Founder Editor of ‘Muse India: The Literary eJournal’. “The reason we decided to give emphasis to Konkani is that the 2011 census on mother tongues gave the startling census that two languages, Konkani and Urdu, were on a decline in the number of speakers. This census was out in 2018 and since Urdu was already the Language of Focus in 2014 at the festival, we needed to highlight Konkani, which is a fascinating language that is spoken in four Indian States and written in five different scripts,” says Dr T Vijay Kumar.
He further adds, “The three core areas of the festival are literature, culture and art. The people who will participate in the festival will also get to see the décor related to Goa. We will have installations with fish nets and we are also planning to bring in a fishermen’s boat.”
Recipient of the Jnanpith Award in 2022, the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Katha Award, Damodar Mauzo is a Konkani short story writer, novelist, columnist, critic, and scriptwriter. Co-founder and co-curator of the recently concluded Goa Arts & Literature Festival, he says this year, he has been busy travelling to different literature festivals. “I am very happy that Konkani is getting recognition at the Hyderabad Literature Festival as people are curious to know the language. However, this should resonate inside Goa too. The language will be spoken all over the country but not its own State. Through these festivals, many aspects about the language which were not discussed before will be exposed to the audience,” says Damodar Mauzo.
Pritha Sardessai, who works passionately to preserve Goa’s culture and heritage, will be joining Damodar Mauzo on stage as he will deliver his keynote speech at the inaugural ceremony. She will also introduce Dnyanjoti Mahila Mandal, a group of Goan folk dancers who will be performing Fugdi and Dhalo on January 28 followed by an interactive session with the audience on January 29. An active member of the Goa Heritage Action Group, she was involved in organising the folk segment at the Goa Heritage Festival in November 2022. “I was introduced to various folk artistes from across the State through Dr Pandurang Phaldesai, a folk art writer and the current director of Thomas Stephens Konkani Kendr, Porvorim and it is amazing to share their art with a wider audience,” says Pritha Sardessai, who will conduct the interactive session between the audience and the folk dancers.
On the concluding day of the festival, a photographic exhibition by artist Salil Chaturvedi, ‘Places My Chair Likes to Go’ will be on display and the award winning Konkani film, ‘Nachom-ia Kumpasar’ (Let’s dance to the rhythm), directed by Bardroy Barretto will be screened.