(note: no link available, but the clipping is attached below) Non-stop jubilation continues to enliven India’s literary landscape, after the December 7 thunderbolt of good news that Damodar “Bhai” Mauzo was named the 57th Jnanpith Award winner.
Previous winners of the country’s most prestigious honour for “outstanding contribution toward literature” constitute a veritable pantheon of our most illustrious writers: U. R. Ananthamurthy, Mahasweta Devi, Nirmal Verma, Girish Karnad. Now, just 15 years after Ravindra Kelekar became the first Goan awardee, it is deeply moving that our great man from Majorda will take his rightful place amongst the foremost luminaries of Indian letters. Here, it must be acknowledged that we have rarely witnessed such an outpouring of pure joy in Goa, let alone about an author winning a prize. These spontaneous celebrations are yet another testament to the character and calibre of the man, and the quality of his life. Born in the Estado da India in 1944, Bhai has experienced all the rollercoaster chapters of Goa’s contemporary history, and written about every bit of it with tremendous felicity and insight. What is more, far ahead of his contemporaries, he has never wavered in embodying the open-hearted humanism that is the heart of our most precious civilizational values, what Bakibab Borkar used to describe as vegllench munisponn. What has Bhai not done, in service to his land and his language? Though wonderfully fluent in Marathi, Hindi and English (with a solid grasp of Portuguese as well) he chose to commit to his mother tongue, and has purposefully contributed an irreplaceable oeuvre of novels, short stories, essays and journalism to its literature. Bhai fought for independent statehood, and the constitutional recognition of Konkani. Then, in the aftermath of those tense battles, he went on to become our most distinguished cultural representative. No writer from India’s smallest state ever stood taller on the national stage. All that has been evident for decades, but we must note that Bhai has been shamefully cold-shouldered in his home state of Goa, which never put his name forward for national awards he merits, and failed to take advantage of his superior competence at the helm of a suitable cultural institution. It is not too late, of course. A richly deserved Gomantak Vibhushan Award could help rectify the injustice. The marvellous twist in this tale is that Bhai himself is far above any petty wrangling for recognition. He is as always: gentle and gentlemanly, warm, loving and affable. As a result of his profound decency, he is universally beloved, which is why so many people from so many places are exulting in this moment. When he heard the news in Kashmir, the acclaimed journalist Yusuf Jameel sent “Mubarak badi” on Twitter, and from Assam, the superb novelist Mitra Phukan rejoiced on Facebook, “wonderful news! Most well-deserved.” Both the latter, along with hundreds of others, know Bhai from yet another avatar: as the co-founder and co-curator of the unique Goa Arts + Literature Festival, which achieved its ten-year anniversary in 2019, just before Covid-19 locked down the world. That quirky cultural fiesta like no other was initially conceived by Bhai himself, and is co-hosted by International Centre Goa and the Goa Writers group, of which he is a staunch and supportive member. GALF is where I too (as co-curator) have seen his formidable capacities in action. The festival’s steady rise from tiny to teeming is due to Bhai’s efforts above all. From inception, the best writers have blessed us with their presence because of their respect and regard for him. The renowned author Ramachandra Guha shared this with me this week: “Even when professing to espouse progressive causes, other famous Indian writers stand apart from their society; they have different lifestyles and move in a more restricted (one might say elite) social circle from those around them.” It’s different with our Jnanpith Award winner: “What struck me about Bhai in the couple of days I spent with him some years ago is how seamlessly he merged with his village, his neighbourhood, his state.” Back in 2018, the great writer Amitav Ghosh (who has lived part-time in Goa for many years) became the first writer of English to win the Jnanpith. When I emailed him about Bhai’s victory, this world-famous writer reacted with exactly the same kind of unbounded excitement that I – and so many of the rest of us – felt upon learning that this time at least, the right man won. “I am absolutely delighted,” said Ghosh. “Damodar is a great writer and a great soul, who has been unflinching in his embrace of Goa's richly pluralistic heritage. His courage in standing up to bigotry and communalism is truly exemplary. In choosing to honour his work, the Jnanpith Foundation has once again affirmed its commitment to the preservation and celebration of India's wonderfully diverse, multilingual literary traditions. Viva Goa!”