Writing... from Sattari

These days -- after the explosion of December 28, 2005 -- anything to do with Sattari gets treated more seriously in Goa. Is this everyone's way of admitting that here was an issue, right under our nose, that we failed to even take cognisance of, until it quite blew up in our face? Or, acknowledgment that there are still parts and peoples of Goa which 'we' hardly understand.

Last week, Nandkumar Kamat introduced me to Sattari lecturer Prakash Paryenkar, whose book "Dovorne" (named after the traditional place where you rested your buden if carrying a headload, it's a stone- built structure of sorts still visible in parts of Goa) is being released on Friday, January 6 at 5 pm at the Institute Menezes Braganza.

This text is in Marathi, and it's being released at a function where the chief guest will be Datta Damodar Nayak, and guest of honour Mohandas Surlekar (vice-chairperson of the IMB). The president of the function will be Pundalik Narayan Nayak, while Dr Nandkumar Kamat will introduce the book.

Being in Marathi makes it accessible to one section of Goans. But one needs to acknowledge that this has long been the language of choice for the written word, for a significant section of Goans -- particularly the Hindu population.

It would be nice to get reviews of this, and other books on Goa in Marathi too. --FN