Condolence Meeting Held for Fr. Mathew Almeida

The Presidents of the Goa Konkani Akademi, Tiatr Academy of Goa and the Dalgado 
Konkani Akademi shared the dais with the two Jesuits who were closely 
asssociated with Dr. Matthew Almeida SJ, viz the  Director of of TSKK, Dr. 
Pratap Naik SJ and Founder member of TSKK, Fr. Vasco do Rego SJ, to condole the 
passing away of a great son of Konkani Mai in the person of Dr. Mathew Ameida 
SJ. Secretary of DKA, Jose Slavador Fernandes compered and proposed the vote of 
thanks.Dalgado Konknni Akademi *(DKA)* had organised the  
condolence at Institute Menezes Braganza l (Art Gallery Hall), Panjim
 
 The others who spoke on the occasion included the Publisher of JIVIT, Michael 
Gracias, columnist and St. Britto's alumni association Secretary, Miguel 
Braganza and GKA Executive member Vincy Quadros. Present to show their 
solidarity were people who were associated with Fr. Mathew Almeida SJ including 
Fr. Agnelo Mascarenhas SJ, Secretary of the St. Britto's Golden Jubilee 
Committee, Joseph Mascarenhas, Film and tiatr actor Cyriac Dias, Internet 
journalist Gaspar Almeida, former Editor of Goencho Ulo and Net journalist Joel 
D'Souza, Headmistress and Tiatr personality, Irene Cardoz, long time associate 
of Fr. Mathew, Constantino D'Souza.
 
Mr. Premanand Lotlikar recalled Dr. Mathew Almeida's  yeoman service to the 
cause of Konkani and said that his books "Description of Konkani" and Konkani 
course in Roman Script" were his major contribution to those who wanted to know 
Konkani language.
 
Fr. Vasco do Rego SJ made a fervent plea for working unitedly for the 
development of Konkani.
 
Tiatr Academy of Goa President and Former Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly 
stated that the vacuum and void created by the death of Fr. Mathew would be 
difficult to fill. He recalled with pride that though Fr. Mathew ALmeida had a 
Ph. D in Linguistics from a foreign university, he always spoke in Konkani when 
speaking to anyone who understood Konkani. He called on Goans to proudly speak 
in Konkani as a tribute to Fr. Mathew.
 
Mr. N. Shivdas, the President of the Goa Konkani Akademi said that he rushed to 
TSKK as soon as he heard of Fr. Mathew's passing away. As in life, he was 
surrounded by a few persons while he was in his coffin at TSKK. Fr.. Mathew was 
reclusive in life and loved his solitude even at functions
 
Fr. Pratap Naik SJ said that Fr. Mathew was soft spoken buut had strong views. 
these views are reflected best in the Diaries he kept each year since 1966. He 
read a few of these entries: 
Fr. Matthew’s personal diary entries from 16th July 1966 to 17 August 2008 are 
found in TSKK.  Pratap Naik, sj read out the following   Texts from Fr. Matthew 
Almeida’s Diaries.

 
5.2.87 Thursday: 
Yesterday the big news was that the most controversial bill was passed last 
night. Konkani is official language of Goa and Marathi and Gujarati are also 
given equal status for all practical purposes. Now let us see what they are 
going to do with it. Naturally both KPA and the Maharashtrawadis are not quite 
happy with it.
 
3rd Sept.88 Sat:
…Later in the evening Avadhut Pai of Sunaparant came to enquire about the 
circulation. He stayed on to talk about Konkani topics. The impression created 
by some of these Nagari writers is that Konkani literature begins with Shenoi 
Gõybab. I told him that Dalgado is the first to write in Nagari. These 
blighters talk as if Christians and missionaries don’t count. The same chaps 
made use of Christians in the first twenty five years to serve their purpose, 
now they have no use for them. Finally our chaps are waking to reality.
 
24 June ’05 Fri:
Pratap has left by evening train to Bombay. He expects to conduct even 
workshops on roman script (RS) for Konkani. Up to now it looks as if RS is the 
only solution. Both the Kannada and Devanagari scrs (scripts) are losing 
ground. Let us see. This has been my contention. Where is the readership for 
Devanagari? Kannada has readership but it may not last more than a decade or 
two.
 
29 Sept ’07 Sat:
At 10.00 there was a small book release function for my Romi Lipient Konknni 
Kors.  Tomazinho presided and recommended the book to Konknni writers and 
lovers. Quite a good response. This is the first book that sold so many copies 
on the first day of release among our publications.
 
Fr. Matthew Almeida, S.J. a veteran Konknni Researcher,
 writer and co-founder of Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr in 1983 died on
 18 February 2009, in JMJ Hospital at Alto Porvorim, Goa after a brief
 illness.
 
 




 



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