Osmitai Jyot for Mhadei
& Identity
Sandesh Prabhudesai
7 August 2002
Over 50 organisations and institutions
have decided to take up state-wide awareness campaign
with 'Osmitai Jyot' (Torch of Self-identity)
from 15th August to 19th December,
on the burning issue of Mhadei river, on the occasion
of Osmitai Year.
A meeting held in this regard in Margao
on last Sunday also welcomed the government announcement
to celebrate the whole year as the Self-identity Year,
as a tribute to Shenoi Goembab, on the occasion of his
125th birth anniversary.
The meeting of students and youth felt
that identity of any region is not decided on the basis
of language but the lifestyle of the people, environmental
aspects, its inherent natural beauty, art, culture,
literature, folk art and several such aspects. Language
is just the medium used to express these various facets
of the identity.
The meeting also felt that issue of
river Mhadei is just not an environmental issue but
an onslaught on the identity of Goa. It is thus a bounden
duty of all the artists in the state to get organised
and fight to preserve our identity, using their artistic,
literary and cultural talents.
The meeting also complimented the Vivekanand
Kala Sadarikaran Manch, who had organised Konkani Bhasha
Mandal's seventh Goa Yuva Mahotsav in Sattari this year,
for beginning a street play campaign on the Mhadei issue.
The Mahotsav has also appealed to all the students and
youth to take inspiration from these youth and organise
various programmes in their respective villages and
institutions on the issue of Mhadei and self-identity.
Organised with the similar spirit,
the 'Osmitai Jyot' will begin from Valpoi by
organising a programme of public rally and cultural
programme on the Independence Day, which will end on
the Goa Liberation Day, where the next Mahotsav will
be held.
The Valpoi programme will be organised
by the Vivekanand Kala Sadarikaran Manch in the afternoon
on 15th August, inviting all the 13 groups
of Sattari that had participated in the festival, besides
43 other groups from all over the state.
Followed by a public rally on the independence
day will be a cultural bonanza, where young artists
will perform street plays, mime, Konkani Pop, songs
and several other forms, depicting various aspects of
Mhadei issue, life of Shenoi Goembab and the aspect
of self-identity. The 'Osmitai Jyot' will also
have a poster exhibition along with it, depicting all
these aspects.
Konkani Bhasha Mandal and the young
local organisers will announce the detailed programme
shortly and from time to time, states a press not released
in this regard.
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