Re: [Goanet] Konknni Talkies : the Tom Bhembre Show
Mogall Miguel bab, Nobody would tolerate a slur on his / her credibility nor expect others to doubt his / her honesty. But they say, you reap as you sow. So, if you cast slurs on the credibility of others and doubt their honesty and that too in a harsh language, you could not possibly expect anything but retaliation in kind. Though I do not doubt your honesty, I had to use your own medicine to make you realize what you are doing to the feelings of others. Now that you have realized it, no hard feelings! You say you do not belong to any CAMP. But your crusading spirit gets the better of you and thus you end up being more loyal to the monarchy than the king himself or as they say in Portuguese, mais papista do que o proprio Papa. All said and done, the two of us seem to share a few characteristics. I too do not want awards ( as if I were eligible for any!). I have never taken any subsidies, nor do I need any. I do not like posts; but some are thrust upon you. For instance, once I got a telephonic message saying that they wanted to nominate me on some body; could I please send my biodata. I remonstrated that I do not qualify for such a position. But the person at the other end insisted. So I sent a biodata which was much watered down from the actual. I was sure that nobody in his senses would have proceeded any further on the basis of that. Imagine my shock when, some ten months later, I find myself on that body with the added prefix Dr. to which I am not entitled. Probably on the same basis, I was appointed on another body. Not that these nominations fetch me any monetary benefits. May be I could put them on my letterhead. But I use the same old letterhead which I printed when I was in service (canceling out the office address which is no longer valid); why waste paper? And I have never used visiting cards. But, whenever I could, I have politely declined the offer of posts. And I too do not like a seat on the dais. Although I have been a teacher all my working life, and addressed a captive audience, I hate addressing a gathering during a function because it sounds so artificial, so self-aggrandizing. But when you tend to forcefully put forward what you feel is right about a certain issue, some people think you would be the best person for promoting the cause. So, I sometimes, reluctantly, end up on a dais. I certainly dont feel elated in such a situation. But we are one when it comes to the love of our mother-tongue. Yet we clash, most ferociously. I will discuss some other day why this happens. Suffice it for today to say that we are looking at the issue from two different angles. Mog asum. S. M. Borges On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 Miguel Braganza [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Mogall Sebastiao-bab, If I say I know how a clock works it does not mean that I work like a clock! So there! Yes, I do not accept a slur on my credibility. When I take pains to be right ..and I am open to correction when I am wrong ... I expect that others do not doubt my honesty. Is that too much to ask? What is true is true even if everyone doubts it. What is false is false , even if everyone doubts it. That Konkani written in the Roman script is alive and showing no signs of dying after 20 years of official suppression is the truth today. I do not belong to any CAMP. I am neither a member of KBM nor of DKA, not of Konknni Ekvott nor of RLAF. I neither want awards, nor subsidies. Neither posts, nor a seat on the dais. Konkani is my Mother Tongue. That is enough for me. I will rest my case here. You can have the last word . Mog asundi. Miguel Be a better pen pal. Text or chat with friends inside Yahoo! Mail. See how. http://overview.mail.yahoo.com/
Re: [Goanet] Konknni Talkies : the Tom Bhembre Show
* GOANET C * O * M * M * U * N * I * T * Y E * V * E * N * T * Xavier Center of Historical Research presents HISTORY HOUR TOPIC: Waste Wise - An Interactive Awareness Presentation on Waste Management in Goa SPEAKER: Clinton Vaz - November 16, 2007 - 5:30pm VISIT: http://tinyurl.com/222757 Mogall Sebastiao-bab, If I say I know how a clock works it does not mean that I work like a clock! So there! Yes, I do not accept a slur on my credibility. When I take pains to be right ..and I am open to correction when I am wrong ... I expect that others do not doubt my honesty. Is that too much to ask? What is true is true even if everyone doubts it. What is false is false , even if everyone doubts it. That Konkani written in the Roman script is alive and showing no signs of dying after 20 years of official suppression is the truth today. I do not belong to any CAMP. I am neither a member of KBM nor of DKA, not of Konknni Ekvott nor of RLAF. I neither want awards, nor subsidies. Neither posts, nor a seat on the dais. Konkani is my Mother Tongue. That is enough for me. I will rest my case here. You can have the last word . Mog asundi. Miguel Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2007 04:15:01 -0800 (PST) From: Sebastian Borges [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Goanet] Konknni Talkies : the Tom Bhembre Show Mogall Miguel bab, 1. You wrote: If you are accusing me of being dishonest, you better be careful. I have an impeccable record for honesty and dedication to work, where ever I have served. I have been brought up on the basis of When honour is lost, it is a relief to die. . My response: Sarkoch taploi muga! Chodd dukhlem? Did it hurt? Why berate me? I have not accused you of anything. You have accused yourself. Please re-read your statement from which I have drawn a logical conclusion. You wrote: I believe that the Goa Konkani Akademi is a semi-Government autonomous body manned by full-time government servants from the member-Secretary downwards. Others learn such tricks fast specially when convenient! Correct me if I am wrong. You are right about the official status of GKA. But the staff there is of the clerical and subordinate level; except for the Secretary. And the occupant of this post is ephemeral; there have been about half a dozen occupants in the last year and a half. In this situation, I wonder how much training in the tricks department this incumbent could give to the clerical staff. Moreover, all this staff were appointed in the GKA itself; so they could not have brought the expertise you impute to them from other Government departments. Yet you claim that they learnt and practiced the tricks which you have detailed with examples from PWD and the corresponding analogies in GKA. This means that ANYONE WHO WORKS IN GOVERNMENT / SEMI-GOVERNMENT BODIES NECESSARILY ACQUIRES AND PERFORMS THOSE TRICKS. Am I wrong? You further state: I worked long enough in Government and semi-government autonomous bodies to know how the system works. This means that YOU TOO LEARNT THOSE VERY TRICKS WHILE WORKING THERE. Now, does it not follow that YOU TOO MUST HAVE PERFORMED THOSE TRICKS? If no, why not? How did you become immune to a malaise which is the lot of EVERYONE who works in such bodies? Besides, each of the bodies where you worked must have been more lucrative than GKA! Personally, I have no doubt that you worked with honesty and dedication and that you have an unblemished record wherever you served. In fact, I know that you had a commendable record. I didn?t mean to hurt you, but I wanted to drive it home to you that your contention is fallacious. However, in the light of your own revelations, you might have to work real hard to prove this to goanetters etc. that you were not up to any mischief when the opportunity was there. ;-) 2. You wrote: I speak Konkani [written as Konknni in Romi lipi, phonetically and not fanatically]. My response: Thanks for bringing this up. The name of our mothertongue is spelt as KONKNNI in a Konkani sentence (e.g. hanv Konknni uloitam) but as KONKANI in an English sentence (e.g. I speak Konkani). One must not write I speak Konknni which is what some Ph.D.?s ERRONEOUSLY (and fanatically?) persist on doing, though humorists are more law-abiding (see below). 3. You wrote: The spoken form has no script or lipi. If the Editor of the oHERALDo or Godfrey writes about speaking in a script, I hold no brief for them. What is wrong is wrong, even if the error is not yours. However, do not add me to the ranks of people who do not know the difference between a language, a dialect and a script. My response: You may run away from the sins of individuals, but I don?t think
Re: [Goanet] Konknni Talkies : the Tom Bhembre Show
* GOANET C * O * M * M * U * N * I * T * Y E * V * E * N * T * Xavier Center of Historical Research presents HISTORY HOUR TOPIC: Waste Wise - An Interactive Awareness Presentation on Waste Management in Goa SPEAKER: Clinton Vaz - November 16, 2007 - 5:30pm VISIT: http://tinyurl.com/222757 Mogall Miguel bab, 1. You wrote: If you are accusing me of being dishonest, you better be careful. I have an impeccable record for honesty and dedication to work, where ever I have served. I have been brought up on the basis of When honour is lost, it is a relief to die. I do not excuse such allegations against my character on the grounds of age, education or senility of the accuser. You know what I said about Fr. Moreno de Souza sj while he was alive after the Catholics for Devanagri meeting in the Art Gallery of IMB, Panaji. It is good for one to maintain his own respect. I hope I do not need to remind you of that. My response: Sarkoch taploi muga! Chodd dukhlem? Did it hurt? Why berate me? I have not accused you of anything. You have accused yourself. Please re-read your statement from which I have drawn a logical conclusion. You wrote: I believe that the Goa Konkani Akademi is a semi-Government autonomous body manned by full-time government servants from the member-Secretary downwards. Others learn such tricks fast specially when convenient! Correct me if I am wrong. You are right about the official status of GKA. But the staff there is of the clerical and subordinate level; except for the Secretary. And the occupant of this post is ephemeral; there have been about half a dozen occupants in the last year and a half. In this situation, I wonder how much training in the tricks department this incumbent could give to the clerical staff. Moreover, all this staff were appointed in the GKA itself; so they could not have brought the expertise you impute to them from other Government departments. Yet you claim that they learnt and practiced the tricks which you have detailed with examples from PWD and the corresponding analogies in GKA. This means that ANYONE WHO WORKS IN GOVERNMENT / SEMI-GOVERNMENT BODIES NECESSARILY ACQUIRES AND PERFORMS THOSE TRICKS. Am I wrong? You further state: I worked long enough in Government and semi-government autonomous bodies to know how the system works. This means that YOU TOO LEARNT THOSE VERY TRICKS WHILE WORKING THERE. Now, does it not follow that YOU TOO MUST HAVE PERFORMED THOSE TRICKS? If no, why not? How did you become immune to a malaise which is the lot of EVERYONE who works in such bodies? Besides, each of the bodies where you worked must have been more lucrative than GKA! Personally, I have no doubt that you worked with honesty and dedication and that you have an unblemished record wherever you served. In fact, I know that you had a commendable record. I didnt mean to hurt you, but I wanted to drive it home to you that your contention is fallacious. However, in the light of your own revelations, you might have to work real hard to prove this to goanetters etc. that you were not up to any mischief when the opportunity was there. ;-) 2. You wrote: I speak Konkani [written as Konknni in Romi lipi, phonetically and not fanatically]. My response: Thanks for bringing this up. The name of our mothertongue is spelt as KONKNNI in a Konkani sentence (e.g. hanv Konknni uloitam) but as KONKANI in an English sentence (e.g. I speak Konkani). One must not write I speak Konknni which is what some Ph.D.s ERRONEOUSLY (and fanatically?) persist on doing, though humorists are more law-abiding (see below). 3. You wrote: The spoken form has no script or lipi. If the Editor of the oHERALDo or Godfrey writes about speaking in a script, I hold no brief for them. What is wrong is wrong, even if the error is not yours. However, do not add me to the ranks of people who do not know the difference between a language, a dialect and a script. My response: You may run away from the sins of individuals, but I dont think you can do so when your CAMP (or LOBBY if you like)is concerned. And it is the attitude of your CAMP towards this expression that I had commented upon. I just cited some names as examples. This was from recollection. About Godfrey I was sure; but not about you. Hence the question-mark. Tomazinhos name also came up the same way; I recalled his photograph that appeared in that article and made the gaffe. Fortunately, I realized the error while in Margao, so I could rush back to the Cyber and send the correction. But there is more. Please look up GOENCHO ULO (Feb-March 06). On the first page you will find a banner title of an article /
Re: [Goanet] Konknni Talkies: The Tom Bhembre Show
Mogall Sebastiao-bab, Congratulations! I was happy to read that the KONKANI BASHA MANDAL, Margao [Ph.2750585] in association with the GOA KONKANI AKADEMI, 243, Patto colony, Panaji-Goa, is organising a seminar on writing skills using the ROMAN SCRIPT for Konkani. I am sure the Covenmor, Vincy Quadros [Ph.9822587498] will use the spellings recommended in ROMI LIPINT KONKNNI BOURNCHI NEMAVOLL co-edited by you with my friends Nagesh Karmali, Tomazinho Cardoz and Jose Salvador Fernandes with Dr. Jayanti Nail as the member-Secretary. I wish the KONKNNI BOROUPEACHEM XIBIR on 18 November, 2007 at KBM, Margao, all the best. May the number of persons, specially youth and children, writing KONKNNI in ROMAN SCRIPT increase. Mog asundi. Miguel PS The Tom Bhembre Show can go on simultaneously. We can transcribe it in Konknni using both Romi and Devanagri scripts FOR Konknni [not resorting to English in Romi lipi as the GKA has done for its CITIZENS' CHARTER ... in the two scripts, two languages formula] On Nov 13, 2007 12:13 AM, Miguel Braganza [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Mogall Sebastiao-bab, You wrote: Godfrey Gonsalves (you too?) reported that, though my speech was distributed in Devanagari, what I SPOKE was in Romi! But none in your CAMP thought of correcting this; so, why now? A couple of editorials in English dailies said much the same thing. Comment: I speak Konkani [written as Konknni in Romi lipi, phonetically and not fanatically]. The spoken form has no script or lipi. If the Editor of the oHERALDo or Godfrey writes about speaking in a script, I hold no brief for them. What is wrong is wrong, even if the error is not yours. However, do not add me to the ranks of people who do not know the difference between a language, a dialect and a script. I may not have a Ph.D. ...but I am not a dud like the veneral Dr.Tanaji Halarnkar, former Editor of the G.U.'s Konkani Encyclopaedia, who calls dialects as facets ...and fools no one except himself! The only CAMPs I know are the camps I attended during my days in Boy Scouts and NCC. Unlike the President of USA, I have no Camp David type of holiday ranch.
Re: [Goanet] Konknni Talkies: The Tom Bhembre Show
Mogall Miguel bab, You wrote: .writer, author and reader of Konkani written in Romi script [NOT Romi Konkani as some want tomisrepresent it now a days.] My comment: Is this a belated realization on your part? Dhomprantlem koplant pavonk itlo vell laglo? And why blame others for your own sins? You and your CAMP has been using the expression Romi Konknni to mean variously:(1) Konkani written in Roman script, (2) Konkani spoken by the Roman Catholics in Goa, (3) the Bardexi dialect of Konkani, (4) the Konkani used in the Roman Catholic Church litturgy in Goa. Some of you (e.g. Fr. Conceicao DSilva)have even been claiming to be SPEAKING IN Romi Konknni. A couple of editorials in English dailies said much the same thing. Two years ago,I gave a talk in Konkani about Msgr. Dalgado at Menezes Braganza Hall,Panjim. And Godfrey Gonsalves (you too?) reported that, though my speech was distributed in Devanagari, what I SPOKE was in Romi! But none in your CAMP thought of correcting this; so, why now? And further, has this revised attitude of yours to the term Romi Konkani been ratified by your CAMP? I doubt it, because I find Tomazinho Cardozo (the originator of the controversy and the General of your CAMP) still using the same term (see e.g. yesterdays NT Panorama p. 2). Or is Tomazinho also misrepresenting it? You wrote: .both, you and your sleeping stalwart, are members of the GKA Executive Committee. Why do you not ask this question there? All the members are expected to exercise due diligence and have due accountability ...and perhaps even paid sitting fees... to do this work My comment: I did not ask you any question. I only gave you an instance of how the accusing / complaining side too did not help matters. He did undertake this perfectly VOLUNTARY activity. But he is a busy person and has his own priorities. He is not saying that he will not complete it. Some work has been completed and the rest is being attended to. HE HAS NOT TAKEN ANY ADVANCE FROM GKA FOR THAT PURPOSE. Therefore, the Akademi cannot compel him to complete it; they can only coax him. But the same cannot be said about another leader of your CAMP (a past Secretary of Dalgado Konkani Akademi, nothing less, and 'publisher' of a Romi Konkani Monthly too!)who has TAKEN AN ADVANCE of Rs. Thirty thousand only for a research project on Mando. He failed to submit the Report for over a year beyond the stipulated and agreed time schedule for completion. During this period, he was sent several reminders and warnings. Finally he went to GKA office and left a CD on the President's table (in the latter's absence), without even a covering letter. All that the CD contains is THREE TYPED PAGES OF TEXT. This matter came up during a meeting of the Executive. Tomazinho rang him up from there itself. He was told that everything was there in the CD except for the performance which is also a part of the contract. Tomazinho requested him to come over to the GKA ofice some time and help open the CD. But, FOUR MONTHS down the line, he has not found the time to do so. In fact, he did come there at least twice; but always in a hurry, as he had to distribute invitations! And the same scoundrel berates the GKA from the platform as well as in the press. (You must have attended the publication function of the Biography of M. Boyer on October 11 last at Kala Akademi, and also read GT of the days preceding and following the event.) Such people are real assets for your movement which has always THRIVED ON BLATANT LIES. You wrote: . I worked long enough in Government and semi-government autonomous bodies to know how the system works. In the PWD, if one does not wish a particular contractor to bid there are some simple solutions 1. Disqualify his class [as for Romi writers] 2. Do not accept his application for tender form [concept of book] 3. Accept the application but not the completed tender [manuscript]. After that one can, WITH ALL HONESTY, say that the particular tender was never rejected because it was NEVER RECEIVED in the first place! I believe that the Goa Konkani Akademi is a semi-Government autonomous body manned by full-time government servants from the member-Secretary downwards. My comment: Just because you indulged in some dishonest acts while working in Government or semi-Government autonomous organizations or because such acts are quite common in such offices, you cannot presume that GKA did likewise; you have to provide proof. And it better be fool-proof; too many members of your CAMP have been exposed as LIARS. You wrote: The two of you have worked together on some book projects of GKA, too. So he is part of YOUR CAMP,too. Or do you want to deny it now? My response: Jointly working with sleeping stalwart on some projects does not necessarily make me amember of his/your CAMP. So the question of denying NOW or EVER just does not arise. You seem to conveniently forget when it suits you. Don't
Re: [Goanet] Konknni Talkies : the Tom Bhembre Show - a correction
Mogall Miguel bab, Proffuse apologies for the error which cropped in my earlier post. The article in NT Panorama to which I referred in a bracket was by Mario Cabral e Sa and NOT by Tomazinho Cardozo. The bracket may please be expunged and me excused. But for this and the comment thereon, the post is free of error. When I typed the matter, I did not have the NT at hand. But after leaving the Cyber, I visited a friend in Margao where I had an opportunity to check and realise my error. Extremely sorry for the gaffe. Mog asum. S. M. Borges __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
Re: [Goanet] Konknni Talkies: The Tom Bhembre Show
Mogall Sebastiao-bab, You wrote: Godfrey Gonsalves (you too?) reported that, though my speech was distributed in Devanagari, what I SPOKE was in Romi! But none in your CAMP thought of correcting this; so, why now? A couple of editorials in English dailies said much the same thing. Comment: I speak Konkani [written as Konknni in Romi lipi, phonetically and not fanatically]. The spoken form has no script or lipi. If the Editor of the oHERALDo or Godfrey writes about speaking in a script, I hold no brief for them. What is wrong is wrong, even if the error is not yours. However, do not add me to the ranks of people who do not know the difference between a language, a dialect and a script. I may not have a Ph.D. ...but I am not a dud like the veneral Dr.Tanaji Halarnkar, former Editor of the G.U.'s Konkani Encyclopaedia, who calls dialects as facets ...and fools no one except himself! The only CAMPs I know are the camps I attended during my days in Boy Scouts and NCC. Unlike the President of USA, I have no Camp David type of holiday ranch. You wrote: Tomazinho Cardozo (the originator of the controversy and the General of your CAMP) still using the same term (see e.g. yesterday?s NT Panorama p. 2). Or is Tomazinho also misrepresenting it? Comment: You have subsequently corrected yourself on this count and accepted that it was Mario Cabral e Sa who wrote it in the NT Panaorama. I have accepted that. To err is human. the error and the retraction only reinforces my firm belief that you are human and the goodness is not lost to the Devanagri cause as in the case of some others from Margao whom I know only too well by now. You wrote: Just because you indulged in some dishonest acts while working in Government or semi-Government autonomous organizations or because such acts are quite common in such offices, you cannot presume that GKA did likewise; you have to provide proof. And it better be fool-proof; too many members of your CAMP have been exposed as LIARS. Comment: If you are accusing me of being dishonest, you better be careful. I have an impeccable record for honesty and dedication to work, where ever I have served. I have been brought up on the basis of When honour is lost, it is a relief to die. I do not excuse such allegations against my character on the grounds of age, education or senility of the accuser. You know what I said about Fr. Moreno de Souza sj while he was alive after the Catholics for Devanagri meeting in the Art Gallery of IMB, Panaji. It is good for one to maintain his own respect. I hope I do not need to remind you of that. The record of what has not been entered in the books cannot be produced now. How much the GKA wants the Romi lipi writers to use its schemes is answered by its latest CITIZEN'S CHARTER published in Konkani in Devanagri script and English in Roman script! So what happens to applicants who write Konkani in Romi lipi as per GKA's own orthography co-authored by you? In response to a GT question on whether the Goa Government's proposed Tiatr Academy should have its research in Roman script Serafin-bab of your very own Konkani Ekvot replied in the afirmative thus, YES. It should be writen in English Such are the devious ways of your companions and fellow Ekvot,ek samaj, ek lipi votaries. The duplicity of your other Ekvoter, Shridhar Kamat is exposed by the Goa 365 channel this evening. The Trojan horse of the Digu-bab lobby in the GBA is not as smart as the Rane's Uday of the KPA. The GKA office has not been able to give a complete answer to a RTI application on books subsidized by it. If you can fill in the gaps, I would be obliged. The Guard File copy will be accessible to you as an Executive member of the GKA, I presume ...or else, I can make a photo copy of the reply available to you. When the proof is available to you in-house, why ask me to produce it to you. Mog asundi. Miguel Message: 12 Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:47:19 -0800 (PST) From: Sebastian Borges [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Goanet] Konknni Talkies: The Tom Bhembre Show Mogall Miguel bab, You wrote: .writer, author and reader of Konkani written in Romi script [NOT Romi Konkani as some want tomisrepresent it now a days.] My comment: Is this a belated realization on your part? Dhomprantlem koplant pavonk itlo vell laglo? And why blame others for your own sins? You and your CAMP has been using the expression Romi Konknni to mean variously:(1) Konkani written in Roman script, (2) Konkani spoken by the Roman Catholics in Goa, (3) the Bardexi dialect of Konkani, (4) the Konkani used in the Roman Catholic Church litturgy in Goa. Some of you (e.g. Fr. Conceicao D?Silva)have even been claiming to be SPEAKING IN Romi Konknni. A couple of editorials in English dailies said much the same thing. Two years ago,I gave a talk in Konkani about Msgr. Dalgado at Menezes Braganza Hall,Panjim. And Godfrey Gonsalves (you too?) reported that, though my speech was distributed in Devanagari, what
Re: [Goanet] Konknni Talkies: The Tom Bhembre Show
Mogall Miguel-bab I shall leave what you say about me for another day because I feel it is not important at the moment. So let me come straight to the point. You say, . actually part of the syndicate that has denied Konknni books in Romi lipi even a single award of Sahitya Puroskar for a DECADE since 1988. Do not tell me that Devanagri Konknni books were consistently found superior ...or that Adv. Uday Bhembre or the other Rats cannot read and understand Romi enough to discover the superiority of these books. My response: This cry wolf story has been heard / read too often. At one time it was claimed that the Goa Konkani Akademi is meting out step-motherly treatment and doing injustice towards Romi writers by not assisting the publication of their books as it does in the case of Devanagari writers. And it sounded true, since the GKA had not published any Romi book for a long time. So everyone believed this to be the Gospel truth, especially since it was told by Catholics (priests included) for whom it is a sin to tell a lie. Nobody bothered to check the truth behind this fact. I did. And what did I find? (1) Not a single manuscript in Romi had been submitted to the GKA during all this time; therefore, the question of rejecting Romi books just did not arise. (2) Some Romi stalwarts undertook to write books but slept on the job. For instance, one such worthy has been sleeping on an anthology of 101 tiatr songs for well over 16 years! And yet he had the temerity to level the above charge against the GKA. So, pray, how does one expect the GKA to publish / assist in the publication of books whose manuscripts do not reach it? Charges of bias against judges at competitions is a common feature in Goa, as can be seen after every tiatr competition. This year was no different in this respect; one publisher of a Romi Konkani Monthly went to the extent of literally drowning the judges in his bile, even questioning their very credentials to sit on such a panel. But this year, a different type of incident also took place. Being tired of sitting it out in the Open Air Theatre, a leader realized that Natok Competitions are always staged in the Air-conditioned (AC) theatre whilst Tiatr Competition is held in the Open Air (OA) Theatre. Ergo, step-motherly treatment! Tiatr must be treated on par with Natok and the competition must be held in AC theatre. And so it was done. But the capacity of AC theatre is nowhere comparable to that of OA theatre. Result: scores of tiatr aficionados, whom the leader claims to represent, were left out in the cold. They had to enjoy some scuffles outside instead of the tiatr inside. This pent-up collective anger ended with fracas with the security personnel and some damage to the property of the Kala Akademi. Why bother about the riffraff when the leader can loll in air-conditioned comfort? After several such empty cry wolf episodes, stark lies and half-truths, many of which have already been exposed as such, comes the latest one about Sahitya Puroskars of the Kala Akademi: since 1988, Romi books have been consistently and unfairly denied this Award. This charge also rings true, because it fits the fact: no Romi book has earned this award for a long time. It tacitly and obviously assumes that there were Romi titles which merited the honour. However, Do not tell me that Devanagri Konknni books were consistently found superior is a hypothetical statement. In order to prove the charge we have to show that such books did exist in Romi at the relevant point in time. To test that aspect, Miguel bab, I have to make a sincere request to you. Please make a list of just TEN of the books which ACCORDING TO YOUR CAMP would have merited the award, had the judges and their selection been fair and unbiased. The books need not be listed in the order of merit; but, in each case, please state the following: (1) title, (2) author, (3) year of publication and (4) where and when a literary review/s of the book appeared in print. If possible, you could also provide a list of the undeserving titles in Devanagari which instead were unfairly given the award. With this information we should be able to make an objective (and comparative) assessment of the case. So, please help. Should you find it difficult to muster TEN Romi titles, please feel free to reduce the number to suit your convenience. And please do not take this as an affront, because it certainly is not meant to be so; it arises from some facts in my knowledge. (1) Some time back, I was informed that some persons in the Konkani Movement requested Felicio Cardoso and Tomazinho Cardozo to select some meritorious books in Romi so that they could be transliterated into Devanagari and rendered eligible to compete for the Sahitya Akademi award. Both of them are said to have expressed their inability in this regard because we do not have any books of that level in Romi. (2) About a decade ago,
