Mangaluru: The Sahitya Akademi organized a thoughtful literary event, ‘Kavisandhi’, featuring the eminent Konkani poet Neelba Khandekar on Sunday at the World Konkani Center in Mangaluru.
The event was co-hosted by the Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation and Kavita Trust.
The event saw the esteemed presence of Nandagopal Shenoy, president of the Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation, and Kishoo Barkur, president of the Kavita Trust.
Explaining his poetic journey, Neelba Khandekar said, “I had a talent for writing, but it sharpened as I started to delve into the facts of life. Reading habits taught me to think about the past and present world.
Historical incidents and current affairs made me reflect on their merits and demerits. When I started to study national and international incidents, I came to understand the difference between progressive thinking and fundamental practices.
The teachings of Mahatma Gandhi influenced me greatly. Learning about Dabholkar, Gauri Lankesh, and M M Kalburgi inspired me to write progressive poems.
I tried to become a voice for the voiceless through my poems. Qutubuddin Ansari, Bhikis Bhanu, and others who were targeted in the name of religion, caste, and politics have become the subjects of my poems.”
In his speech, Nandagopal Shenoy thanked the Sahitya Akademi for choosing the World Konkani Center for its Kavisandhi event. He also urged the organization to host more literary events at the center.
Melvyn Rodrigues, welcomed the gathering and introduced Neelba Khandekar to the audience.
The literary gathering concluded with a timely bilateral debate conducted by H M Pernal, advisory board member, Sahitya Akademi for Konkani.
Along with Neelba, known Konkani poetess Smitha Shenoy participated in the debate.
Stany Bela, advisory board member,Sahitya Akademi for Konkani compered the event.
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