THE LATE CHANDRAKANT KENI.
It was with deep sorrow and chagrin I received the news of the death of Bab Chandrakant Keni on 03rd of this month in Goa. Bab Keni and me we both started our honeymoon in mid eighties during the height of Konkani agitation in Goa at Panaji. Earlier he knew me by reading me here and there. When he saw me actively taking part in the Konkani agitation thru public rallies, public meetings and even hunger strike at Azad Maidan in Panaji during my vacation in Goa at that time, he was deeply impressed. When I was on hunger strike along with 3 others namely Eng. Datta Naik, Prof. Dilip Borker and Dioniz Deniz, he especially came to meet me and patted me for being so bold and patriotic towards Goa and Konkani inspite of being an expatriate Goan. He never expected an expatriate Goan to take so much of interest in Konkani cause.
Then we many times met at Margao where we discussed many issues concerning Goa, Konkani and Kuwait Goans. Though he was highly appreciating my efforts to garner support for Konkani cause from Kuwait thru collecting funds for Konkani yet he was very prophetic in his advice to me and to other Kuwaitkars not to be mad after this issue by sending money. He used to tell me very often “Veronica, first you take care of your future, first you strengthen your financial position. Konkani will survive and get victory even if you don’t send money but by concentrating too much on sending money for Konkani cause in Goa you should not hamper your financial progress”. He always used to stress saying, “we will surely in Goa take care of Konkani thru our financial resources but you should financially take care of your future first. In case you lose your jobs in Kuwait what will be your fate?”, he used to ask.
By listening to this philosophy of Keni Bab I used to get negative feelings of him but later on his prophetic words proved to be extremely correct. Came the invasion of Kuwait on 2nd August 1990 and we or at least many of us especially Konknnivadis like me who worked so hard for Konkani cause from Kuwait were stranded in Goa. We became rudderless boats, nobody cared us and worst part of the whole episode was that the very Konknnivadis and Konknni stalwarts who were earlier flirting with me like “pamprelam” didn’t even wish me. Men like Gurunath Kelekar, Dr. Rebello and their gang who destroyed Novem Goem Pratishtan didn’t even brother to enquire whereabout and howabout of us inspite of receiving around 5 lakhs of rupees as donation from Kuwait Goans. Goa Cancer Hospital Society that received from us Kuwaitkars over 15 lakhs of rupees never even bothered to support the cause of Kuwaitkars. All the “Madris” and “Padris” who received so much of donations from us Kuwaitkars for their Churches, Schools and Convents never associated with us Kuwaitkars in our movement for the cause of Kuwait. The Tiatrists who made so much of money by staging their Tiatros and acting in Kuwait never lent their support to us; on the contrary some of them rendered insulting “Zupattis” for us from the stage and shamelessly took pleasure in doing so.
Bab Chandrakant Keni was a great writer in Nagri Konknni and English too. His writings I used to read in Goa Today and he read me in Goa Today as well. When Salgaocars took over Goa Today Magazine from Lambert Mascharenhas, due to his closeness with Salgaocars family, during one trip of mine in Goa, Chandrakant Keni requested me to have a meeting with Dattaraj Salgaocar at Vasco in connection with the promotion of Goa Today in the Gulf and even to arrange a special issue of GT on Kuwait Goans. During this meeting of mine with Dattarj Salgaokar, Keni Bab was also present where I highly appreciated his power of discussion as we discussed many other topics of concerning Goa, Konkani and Kuwait Goans. After discussing the point mentioned in the agenda, we dispersed off amicably but without any agreement.
Earlier once we both met at one of the meetings of Konkani Lekokh Songh at TB Cunha Hall, Panajim where he used his tact very shrewdly to pacify my temper which reached to the zenith when Shivdas Naik as chairman of the meeting questioned my credentials as Konkani promoter without knowing head or tail of my activities in Kuwait for Konkani. Gurunath Kelekar took me for this meeting and introduced me to the gathering in superlative terms. Shivdas Naik as if he was the Shakesphere of Konkani Literature asked sarcastically to Gurunath Kelekar whether I know Konkani in Nagri script giving an impression that those who do not know Nagri Konknni are idiots. For this, I immediately jumped from my chair rather boldly and asked the chair “is it a must to know Nagri Konknni only to involve in Konkani movement?” Gurunath and Chandrakant Bab sensed my mood and apologized on behalf of the chair. Purshottam Kakodkar (MP) was also present who just came from Delhi and in front of everyone I told him that “Konkani movement and Konkani language will never reach to the top unless these bloody semi literate Nagrivadis give up their fake pride as custodians of Konkani. They think they only are intellectuals and Romivaids are ignortant. This sort of Nazism these Nagrivadis are suffering and thru this Nazism they are discriminating against Romivadis. There will never be unity of Konknnivadis in Goa unless these Nazi type Nagrivadis change their stand.
Chandrakant Keni won lot of literary awards in Konkani, I am happy about it but if he and others have won these awards it is not because their works are excellent. Because others from Romi circle are denied the privileges of these awards. Amongst Romi writers, there are giants who can easily swallow all the awards instituted by Sahitya Academy and other literary circles but since these awards are given only for the works written in Nagri script, Nagri writers cheaply enjoy the benefit of these awards. When George Bernad Shaw was asked “why Shakespeare became great?”, retorted Shaw “because I was not born then” to compete with and challenge Shakespeare. My discord with Chandrakant Keni started when I found him pro Nagrivadi doing nothing for the benefits of Romi Konknni. A few years back he came to Kuwait but I refused to meet him and told all my like minded Goykars to boycott his meeting on the ground that he is anti-Romi. Otherwise we in Kuwait are strong supporters and promoters of Konkani but when these Nagrivadis try to discard us we hate them and will go on hating them till we gain the final victory for Romi.
There is a Roman saying which says “never talk ill of the dead”. I don’t speak ill of Chandrakant Keni but only offer my regret that he did not support Romi cause. He became a member of the gang that opposed Romi Konkani. This aside, I admire him as a Konkani protagonist and a great lover of Goa. Such Goa lover Goans are required now. May the soul of Chandrakant Keni rest in peace.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
Then we many times met at Margao where we discussed many issues concerning Goa, Konkani and Kuwait Goans. Though he was highly appreciating my efforts to garner support for Konkani cause from Kuwait thru collecting funds for Konkani yet he was very prophetic in his advice to me and to other Kuwaitkars not to be mad after this issue by sending money. He used to tell me very often “Veronica, first you take care of your future, first you strengthen your financial position. Konkani will survive and get victory even if you don’t send money but by concentrating too much on sending money for Konkani cause in Goa you should not hamper your financial progress”. He always used to stress saying, “we will surely in Goa take care of Konkani thru our financial resources but you should financially take care of your future first. In case you lose your jobs in Kuwait what will be your fate?”, he used to ask.
By listening to this philosophy of Keni Bab I used to get negative feelings of him but later on his prophetic words proved to be extremely correct. Came the invasion of Kuwait on 2nd August 1990 and we or at least many of us especially Konknnivadis like me who worked so hard for Konkani cause from Kuwait were stranded in Goa. We became rudderless boats, nobody cared us and worst part of the whole episode was that the very Konknnivadis and Konknni stalwarts who were earlier flirting with me like “pamprelam” didn’t even wish me. Men like Gurunath Kelekar, Dr. Rebello and their gang who destroyed Novem Goem Pratishtan didn’t even brother to enquire whereabout and howabout of us inspite of receiving around 5 lakhs of rupees as donation from Kuwait Goans. Goa Cancer Hospital Society that received from us Kuwaitkars over 15 lakhs of rupees never even bothered to support the cause of Kuwaitkars. All the “Madris” and “Padris” who received so much of donations from us Kuwaitkars for their Churches, Schools and Convents never associated with us Kuwaitkars in our movement for the cause of Kuwait. The Tiatrists who made so much of money by staging their Tiatros and acting in Kuwait never lent their support to us; on the contrary some of them rendered insulting “Zupattis” for us from the stage and shamelessly took pleasure in doing so.
Bab Chandrakant Keni was a great writer in Nagri Konknni and English too. His writings I used to read in Goa Today and he read me in Goa Today as well. When Salgaocars took over Goa Today Magazine from Lambert Mascharenhas, due to his closeness with Salgaocars family, during one trip of mine in Goa, Chandrakant Keni requested me to have a meeting with Dattaraj Salgaocar at Vasco in connection with the promotion of Goa Today in the Gulf and even to arrange a special issue of GT on Kuwait Goans. During this meeting of mine with Dattarj Salgaokar, Keni Bab was also present where I highly appreciated his power of discussion as we discussed many other topics of concerning Goa, Konkani and Kuwait Goans. After discussing the point mentioned in the agenda, we dispersed off amicably but without any agreement.
Earlier once we both met at one of the meetings of Konkani Lekokh Songh at TB Cunha Hall, Panajim where he used his tact very shrewdly to pacify my temper which reached to the zenith when Shivdas Naik as chairman of the meeting questioned my credentials as Konkani promoter without knowing head or tail of my activities in Kuwait for Konkani. Gurunath Kelekar took me for this meeting and introduced me to the gathering in superlative terms. Shivdas Naik as if he was the Shakesphere of Konkani Literature asked sarcastically to Gurunath Kelekar whether I know Konkani in Nagri script giving an impression that those who do not know Nagri Konknni are idiots. For this, I immediately jumped from my chair rather boldly and asked the chair “is it a must to know Nagri Konknni only to involve in Konkani movement?” Gurunath and Chandrakant Bab sensed my mood and apologized on behalf of the chair. Purshottam Kakodkar (MP) was also present who just came from Delhi and in front of everyone I told him that “Konkani movement and Konkani language will never reach to the top unless these bloody semi literate Nagrivadis give up their fake pride as custodians of Konkani. They think they only are intellectuals and Romivaids are ignortant. This sort of Nazism these Nagrivadis are suffering and thru this Nazism they are discriminating against Romivadis. There will never be unity of Konknnivadis in Goa unless these Nazi type Nagrivadis change their stand.
Chandrakant Keni won lot of literary awards in Konkani, I am happy about it but if he and others have won these awards it is not because their works are excellent. Because others from Romi circle are denied the privileges of these awards. Amongst Romi writers, there are giants who can easily swallow all the awards instituted by Sahitya Academy and other literary circles but since these awards are given only for the works written in Nagri script, Nagri writers cheaply enjoy the benefit of these awards. When George Bernad Shaw was asked “why Shakespeare became great?”, retorted Shaw “because I was not born then” to compete with and challenge Shakespeare. My discord with Chandrakant Keni started when I found him pro Nagrivadi doing nothing for the benefits of Romi Konknni. A few years back he came to Kuwait but I refused to meet him and told all my like minded Goykars to boycott his meeting on the ground that he is anti-Romi. Otherwise we in Kuwait are strong supporters and promoters of Konkani but when these Nagrivadis try to discard us we hate them and will go on hating them till we gain the final victory for Romi.
There is a Roman saying which says “never talk ill of the dead”. I don’t speak ill of Chandrakant Keni but only offer my regret that he did not support Romi cause. He became a member of the gang that opposed Romi Konkani. This aside, I admire him as a Konkani protagonist and a great lover of Goa. Such Goa lover Goans are required now. May the soul of Chandrakant Keni rest in peace.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
