Fr. Antonio Pereira Konknni Puroskar (APKP) award ceremony.

Fr. Antonio Pereira Konknni Puroskar (APKP) award ceremony. Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr held its 34th Annual Fr. Antonio Pereira Konkani Puroskar (APKP) award ceremony in its lush green courtyard on the Republic Day. The awards were given at the hands of the Chief Guest, Mr. Tomazinho Cardozo, an eminent stage artist, writer, and an educationalist. Prince Jacob, a renowned Tiatrist was honoured with this year’s prestigious APKP award for his decades of valuable contribution towards the Konkani Tiatr and Films. The award comprised of a shawl, a memento, and a cheque prize of 30,000 INR. In his speech, he spoke of his encounters and the bond he shared with Fr. Antonio Pereira. He recalled how on 2nd October 1982, at a public function, Fr. Antonio Pereira hailed him as a “Prince” of Comedy, a tag that ever since remained as his stage name, Prince Jacob. He expressed his immense gratitude towards TSKK for acknowledging his works and honouring him with an award instituted by the man, who named him Prince Jacob. In addition to Prince Jacob, five more Goan personalities were honoured and felicitated for their outstanding contribution towards the promotion of the Konkani language, literature, art, and culture.

These five recipients include Mr. Mathew De Souza (Dr. Jack Sequeira Konknni Puroskar), Ms. Mitchel Sharon Cota, (Valerio Carvalho Konknni Puroskar), Fr. Myron Jeson Barreto, (Maria Afonso Konknni Puroskar), Mr. Teotonio Costa, (late Fr. Casmiro D’ Mello Konknni Puroskar) and Fr. Simon Rico Fernandes, (Martir Floriano Vaz Konknni Puroskar). While the first three recipients of the awardwere based on the category of male, female and a priest, nun or religious, the one that of late Fr. Casmiro is given for a Konkani activist, male or female, who tirelessly works to promote Konkani. The Martir Floriano puroskar is being awarded to the Konkani Book of the year. This year, “Vattsurancho Sangati” was selected as the book of the year. Along with these puroskars some scholarships too were being given at the hands of the APKP recipient, Prince Jacob to a few meritorious and deserving students, who had taken Konkani as a 3rd language. The award ceremony began with an invocation to God through a prayer hymn, sung by the tiny tots of Babyland Kinder garden, Porvorim, which was followed by the TSKK Director, Dr Pandurang Phaldesai’s welcome address.

Susanna Sampayo, Stephen Sampayo, Swara Pednekar and Bro. Glinson Fernandes took turns introducing the award recipients. This event also featured a few Konkani songs sung by the stage artists of Prince Jacob Production, Ms. Evola Cota, Ms. Celest Pereira, and Mr. Avers Pereira. The ceremony also included the release of the annual SOD—the TSKK Research Bulletin at the hands of the Chief Guest. The Chief Guest, Mr. Tomazinho Cardozo, a recipient of the APKP 1993 in his speech exhorted the recipients that these awards were given to them not to bask in laurels, but rather to encourage them to put in extra efforts and produce greater works. Besides, the APKP award recipient and the Chief Guest, the representative of the Provincial of the Goa Jesuit Province, Fr. Joseph Cardozo, SJ his Socius also addressed the gathering. The entire ceremony was anchored by Fr. Ave Maria Afonso and Dr. Janet Fernandes, which culminated with the vote of thanks by Fr. Kelwin Monteiro, the Jesuit Coordinator of the TSKK.