Posting with Samir's permission. George --- On Fri, 8/27/10, Samir Kelekar <[email protected]> wrote:
"I am first a fighter; that is why I became a writer" Ravindra Kelekar, who happens to be my uncle used to say. He passed away at 85 today at 11.30 AM in Goa. Ravindrakaka was more of a Lohiate than a Nehruvian. At age 21, he decided to dedicate his life to konkani, Goa and the nation and did so till his last moment. He was decorated with Padma Bhushan, and was a fellow of the Sahitya Academy besides winning the Gyanpeeth. Always frank and straightforward, someone who never minced any words, political correctness was not in his vocabulary itself. But he did'nt hate anyone. He told me in one conversation --- don't blame the Portuguese who ruled Goa for over 450 years, even they had a dictator ruling them, so their citizens' position was no different from ours. As his nephew (Ravindrabab was my father's second cousin) I was in awe of this man. In his last speech accepting the Gyanpeeth award for which he was taken in an ambulance on a wheel chair, he made a fervent appeal to people to write in Indian languages saying that English has only given us 'bonsai' intellectuals. "Bonsai' plants are short and cant reproduce. Most loved by Goans, Ravindrabab's influence made many of my uncles, and father also plunge into the freedom movement. Indeed, the Kelekar family today is associated with social work in Goa and Ravindrabab was the tallest of them all. He fought for the Konkani language when Konkani wasn't even recognized as a language and people were ashamed to speak it. >From one and two people, today Konkani is an official language of Goa, and is >in the eighth schedule of the Indian constitution. Regards, Samir * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Goa-launch of the well-received *Into The Diaspora Wilderness* by Selma Carvalho on Aug 29, 2010 (Sunday) at 11 am at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao. Meet the author, buy a signed copy (only Rs 295 in Goa till stock lasts). http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/
