Goa is a land where art is worshipped and nature is respected therefore we have to conserve art, nature and culture for better future said Vice – Presdent of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu while addressing the gathering of Eminent personalities from literature and media press at Raj Bhavan Dona Paula today.
Shri Naidu said that he intend to meet eminent personalities from various walks of human life like education, artists, achievers, State and Central award winners to know about their contribution in the development of society. Goans he said, love music, dance, painting art as their passion, which is legacy to the world. Goa has abandant natural beauty. It is a paradise due to which people across the world come to Goa as tourists.
Speaking about the writers he said they contribute vast in terms of guidance, providing proper direction to society. Impressing on importance of mother tongue, he said, we feel free to express our feelings and emotions in originality. Therefore he called for the need to promote mother tongue among our children. The purpose of calling get together of these eminent is to acknowledge, respect the merit, excellence and talent.
The Vice- President speaking further said although we have suffered during the current pandemic of Covid. It has led us thevwas to many good things. We can protect ourselves from this pandemic is only by way of following covid protocols like keeping social distance following proper hygine other precautionery measures he added.
The Governor Shri P. S. Sreedharan Pillai, Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping, Waterways and Tourism, Shri Shripad Naik; Chief Minister, Dr Pramod Sawant and others were present for the programme.
The recipient of sahitya Academy Awardees were felicitated at the hands of Vice – President Shri Venkaiah Naidu those included are Prof. Of Dept. Of Konkani Goa University, Shri Prakash Paryekar, Eminent Konkani Writer, Smt. Hema Nayak, President Konkani Academy, Shri Arun Sakhardande, President Kankani Bhasha Mandal Smt Anwesha Singbal, Eminent Konkani Writer Prof. Prashanti Talpankar, Sahitya Academy Awrdee Shri R. S. Bhaskar etc.
Others those who were felicitated were Writer and Parish Priest of Mandur Church Fr. Manuel Gomes, Writer and President Dalgado Konkani Academy Shri Vincy Quadrus, Writer and Filmmaker Shri Michael Gracious, Eminent writer Dr. Anuja Joshi, Head of Dept. of Marathi Dr. Sunita Umraskar, Vice ChancellorGoa Jniversity, Prof. H. B. Menon, Chairperson IMB, Shri Dasharath Parab, Vice – Chairperson IMB, Shri Gorakh Mandrekar.
The other special invitees of the function were Director of Dept. of Information & Publicity, Shri Dipak Bandekar; Resident Editor TOI, Shri Rajesh Menon, Director Prudent Media, Shri Joe Luis; Editor, Herald, Shri Alexander Moniz Barbosa; Editor, The Goan Everyday, Shri Joel Afonso; Editor, Tarun Bharat, Shri Sagar Jawadekar; Editor, Lokmat, Shri Sadguru Patil; Editor Navprabha Shri Paresh Prabhu; Editor, Goa 365, Shri Glen Costa; Editor, Prudent Media Shri Pramod Acharya were also honoured at the hands of the dignitaries.
Secretary to Governor Shri Mihir Vardhan IAS welcomed the guests.