Uday Bhembre bags Sahitya Academy award for ‘Karnaparv’
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 17 December 2015 15:53 IST
Uday Bhembre, a veteran writer and activist of Konkani movement, bagged India’s most prestigious Sahitya Academy award of this year for his Konkani book ‘Karnaparv’.
A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the Sahitya Academy council held today morning in New Delhi.
Arun Khopkar got the award for his Marathi book ‘Chalat Chitra Vyuva’, a collection of his memoirs along with many writers in other Indian languages.
76-year old Bhembre had written Karnaparv, a drama, in 1960 while studying in Mumbai and it was performed in Goa after liberation.
His script is a unique interpretation of Mahabharat, where he says that Karna was not actually the eldest pre-marital son of Kunti but a political move of Krishna to try and separate him from Kauravas and get him into the camp of Pandavas.
The drama was well-received in Goa, but it was published in a book form last year, by Sanjana Publications.
“I would be happier if the award for my interpretation of Mahabharat inspires many young writers to interpret two Mahakavya of India – Ramayan and Mahabharat – in a rationalistic manner”, Bhembre told goanews.com.
According to the 76-year old veteran writer, these two epics had lots of scope for further analysis and link it to today’s situations.
He also said the award would inspire him personally to complete his incomplete research on Goa’s infamous Inquisition during Portuguese regime and pen down a novel.
He has two more books to his credit – Brahmastra, a collection of his Marathi articles written during the historical Opinion Poll and Channyache Rateem, a collection of his select poems and songs.
Known widely as Udaybab, he has several newspapers writings to his credit including his most widely read editorials when he was the editor of Sunaparant, Goa’s Konkani daily which is now shut down.
He neglected creative writing in order to take ahead the Konkani movement at social and organisational level and was also the president of Konkani Bhasha Mandal for several years at its formative stage.
He was also elected the independent MLA of Margao in a historic Assembly poll of 1984 and played an important role in formulating the Official Language Act and led an agitation to make Konkani Goa’s official language during his legislative tenure.
साहित्य अकादमी पुरस्कार मेळील्ल्याचे आयकून खोशी जाली . खरे तर हो पुरस्कार तुमकां खूप फाटिं फावो आशील्लो. मना—काळजा सावन परबी.
Uday babak parabim. We r awaiting more from him. Yeh dil mange more.