No bullet can end my thoughts, says writer Damodar Mauzo
Thane, Oct 3: Sahitya Akademi and Jnanpith award winner and eminent writer Damodar Mauzo on Monday said he too had a threat to his life following the killing of activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh but added that "no bullet can put an end to my thoughts".
Mauzo, known from his progressive writing in Konkani and especially his novel 'Karmelin', was given security cover by Goa police in July, 2018 on intelligence inputs of the Union home ministry and the special investigation team probing Lankesh's death.
Speaking at the jubilee celebrations of a book outlet here, he said, "I came to know at the time that I too was on the hitlist of some people after Gauri Lankesh's death. But as an author, I do not need protection as it curbs my personal freedom."
"It is four years and I have still not been shot. No bullet can put an end to my thoughts. I speak fearlessly," the writer added.
He said it was wrong to say litterateurs must not be involved in politics, but added that "they must not indulge in party politics".
Mauzo was awarded the Sahitya Akademi award in 1983 and the Jnanpith award in 2021.
Gauri Lankesh was shot dead outside her Bengaluru home on September 5, 2017, an incident that had hit international headlines and drawn widespread condemnation.
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Laurene Powell Jobs faces health issues at Maha Kumbh, recovering after 'Ganga snan'
Mahakumbh Nagar (PTI): Overwhelmed by the huge crowds at the Maha Kumbh, Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, was briefly indisposed but is recovering after 'Ganga snan' and rest.
Her enthusiasm to learn about Sanatan Dharma remains strong, according to a statement issued by the Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday.
The billionaire businesswoman-philanthropist has been given a new name, 'Kamla', by her guru Mahamandaleshwar Swami Kailashanand Giri of the Niranjani Akhara.
"Laurene was briefly unwell on Monday but is feeling better after 'Ganga Snan' and rest. Her enthusiasm to delve deeper into Sanatan Dharma remains strong," the government statement quoted Swami Kailashanand as saying.
Swami Kailashanand told PTI Videos that she faced some health issues due to the crowds.
He described his newest disciple as a "simple, virtuous, and humble" woman with a keen interest in Sanatan Dharma. "She is free from ego and fully devoted to her guru," he said.
"All her questions revolve around Sanatan Dharma and she finds great joy and satisfaction in the answers," he added.
Mahant Ravindra Puri, chief of Panchayati Akhara Shri Niranjani, told PTI that Laurene's quest for spirituality brought her to the Maha Kumbh.
"She has a new name here, Kamla. She is very simple, soft and bereft of ego and is here as she was inspired by the timeless sanatani culture," said Puri, who is also the president of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP), the apex body of 13 monastic Hindu orders.
"Her quest for spirituality brought her here. The way she has conducted herself in the akhara makes it clear that despite being among the world's richest and most famous, she is sans all ego and does not show-off. Here she dresses simply and conducts herself gracefully," he added.
Barring a few short video clips of her that were shared by news outlets last week, Laurene has largely avoided the media at the world's largest religious gathering so far.
In the video clips that were shared online on Saturday, she is seen dressed in a peach-yellow salwar suit with a saffron stole and a Rudraksha necklace around her neck.
"She maintains a low profile. The day before yesterday (on Sunday), I asked her to come and sit on the dais during an event but she remained seated at the back," Puri said.
"She has come here to witness our ageless and timeless sanatani culture, the core of all consciousness. She is also here to meet the sentinels of the sanatani faith, the saints and seers," he said.
Puri, who is also the president of the Mansa Devi Mandir Trust, Haridwar, said Laurene has come to the Kumbh for the first time.
Asked how long she will be staying her, Puri said, "She came to our place, Niranjani Akahra, on Sunday and would be staying here for a few days."
