Friday, July 31, 2009

Warrior of Konkani Cypriano Lopes


Warrior of Konkani Cypriano Lopes


ith the sad and untimely demise of Prof Dr Olivinho Gomes, a scholar and versatile writer par excellence, Goa has lost one of its acclaimed and accomplished geniuses, who excelled and made a mark in every field into which he ventured. Dr Olivinho was a proud Goan who had a strong love for his mother tongue Konkani. He gave up his high-profile job in the Central IRS and opted for the service of Konkani. He was proficient in many languages, including Portuguese, English, Hindi, Konkani and Marathi. His genius is reflected in his scholarly works, which include forty published books, and innumerable other writings. He was also a living encyclopedia of Konkani, and none could match his knowledge of Konkani’s rich and varied history. With the passing away of Dr Olivinho, Konkani has lost one of its illustrious sons. His towering personality and his acerbic writings on the Romi Konkani issue will be sadly missed. His dream of attaining equal status for Romi Konkani remained unfulfilled in his lifetime.


{Letter to the Editor in O'Heraldo dated 1st August 2009}

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