'Goa Yuva Mahotsav' : Festival with a difference

- Sandesh Prabhudesai -

They simply do not come, see, win and go, but go back with a new vigour, inspiration and a deep-rooted feeling to preserve their own culture and identity. A new vision to live and let live...

"This is a difference between any normal youth festival and the Goa Yuva Mahotsav", says Shridhar Kamat, one of the main organisers of the annual two-day festival, which is primarily an event of around 16 different competitions of performing art.

Thousands of students and youth thronged at the Bhikaji Nageshkar Nagar at Nageshi-Bandora in Ponda taluka on 13 and 14 January this year. Dressed in unique attire, groups coming from different villages and cities entered the huge pandal amidst chanting of new slogans blended with traditionality and dancing at the beats of 'dholl' and 'tasso' and 'ghumat' and 'shemell'.

Much different from almost all the youth festivals organised by several colleges and even the Goa University, faded jeans or jazzy T shirts was not a 'formal' dress, speaking English was not the necessity or understanding western culture was not a status symbol here. Being a Goan and knowing the Goan culture was the matter of pride. Niz Goenkar was its identity.

Young boys and girls, between 16 to 30, whether studying in higher secondaries and colleges or working, are the soul of this residential 'feast'. They plan it much in advance and fight vigorously, but also appreciate efforts of their rivals.

"No doubt we come here with a strong determination to win the prestigious rolling trophy. But the prime motto is not to win but come together as a force of the Konkani movement", says Rajdeep Naik, heading 'Savoi Verencho Sakhya Hari', the group which bagged the trophy this time.

It was the sixth such festival of the Konkani Bhasha Mandal, taken to villages from this year, discontinuing the annual feature at the Konkani Bhavan in Margao. On the occasion of its silver jubilee, Antruz Lalitak, a premier cultural institution of the state, came forward to organise the first such mega event in the village.

What is so special in it ? Aren't they similar kind of competitions which are also held at the college festivals ? Isn't it the same folk dance competition or rangoli or a street play or a mime or singing ? Or is it unique just because not less than 35 groups participate in it and around 2000 attend it ? Is it unique simply because it is held at five different places simultaneously ?

"No", says Prof. Nityanand Naik, the working president of the Mahotsav this year. According to him, the competition is quite tough here as a city-based westernised student has to struggle hard to compete with a villager, not only while performing a folk dance but even a street play, the most modern form of theatre.

As singing has to be in Konkani, it provides an opportunity for a poet, composer, musicians and a singer to put in their efforts and present something new to impress the judges. Trio, which is fading out slowly with a neo-culture of non-stop tiatr, receives overwhelming response from the youngsters.

While presenting various kind of folk dances from their respective villages rather than only Dekhnni or Katti Fugdi, the same dancers and singers also present Konkani Pop, a fusion of music and dance with fabulous choreography and fantastic ideas of creative presentation. Some of them even play with traditional instruments, presenting a 'Jugalbandi', amidst applause and spontaneous appreciation.

The street plays make them find out root causes of social problems in the society and present it convincingly while also presenting a melodramatic mime based on social themes. The same actors then also come out with humorous ideas to present 'Brekantar', a commercial break of advertisements.

The mind-boggling posters, hand-written two-page newspaper with a serious editorial content, knowing any one Konkani writer thoroughly to face the questions of learned judges or replying to all kind of questions in a unique Quiz based only on Goa poses a real challenge before the participants. They face it with a smiling face and immense confidence.

The orators too have a role to play here, provided they also use their brains. 'Fatafat' dares them to speak non-stop for one minute on any topic provided to them at the last minute. 'Patekar', another unique competition, makes them think of all impossibles and tell the public convincingly.

'Mustaiki', highlight of all these events, is just not a fancy dress competition of the traditional dress. They are knocked out if they do not present themselves in the styles of the character or reply spontaneously and intelligently to all the questions thrown at them.

Sometimes they perform more freely off the stage than on the stage, without any tension or competitive spirit. Coining their own slogans blended with folk forms like 'hossoi' or 'shaboi shaboi', they go on dancing while the thunderous beats of 'dholl' and 'shemell' incite even a spectator to join them.

'Patu konnos re karmalichem danv', sing the Kankonkars while reply to them the Kepemkars with 'Kepem Kepem Kepem Kepem dhum dhadaka'. Come the Antruzkars holding 'ghudyo' and colourful flags while their 'romot' sends waves of inspiration throughout the pandal.

But the youngsters of Sattari were much different from them. They came with a slogan of 'Mhadei', signifying their struggle against the Karnataka government's plan to construct dams and divert water of Mhadei (Mandovi) river, the lifeline of Goa.

They even performed a street play on Mhadei, appealing to all the performing groups and even the KBM to rise up and join the struggle to save Mhadei. The play in fact showed that all of them join together and break the dam built by Karnataka.

When the festival ended the next day, it was a unique scene with various groups coming and singing 'Mhadei' with them. It inspired even the small kids scattered all around the pandal. They came running to the stage, snatched the microphone and started singing 'Mhadei, Mhadei, Mhadei...'

"It is simply not a festival of performing art, but makes you read, write, think and present it in a most creative and frickish manner, but in Konkani", says Purnanand Chari, working president of the first Mahotsav held in 1996.

It was a small group of young activists from the student movement of '80s, who joined hands with Chari and then KBM president Raju Nayak, to rejuvenate the dying Konkani movement. Rather than sticking to mere language issue or literature, they coined it around the word 'Asmitai' (self-identity) and listed out the competitions.

The result was visible within three years when every passing out student formed a group in his village and started participating in the Mahotsav, forcing the organisers to form a different category for the open groups. They also organised several cultural activities in their respective villages while also joining Goa Hit-Rakhan Manch, which is fighting to protect interest of Goa and Goans.

The names itself signify it all - 'Kankonchi Taranga', 'Antruz Ghudyo', 'Savoi Verencho Sakhya Hari', 'Raichi Kansam', 'Yuva Jagruti Sangh', 'Aakar', 'Kala Darpan', 'Swami Vivekanand Kala Manch', 'Sharada Creations', 'Yuva Spandan'. There are many more to come, while the Mahotsav moves next year to Sattari, the hinterland of Goa.