Writers must echo the readers' voice: Jnanpith awardee Damodar Mauzo at Konkani poetry book launch
Poet and critic H.M. Pernal’s poetry collection Zanel released
Mangaluru: “Literature is not merely a reflection of life; it is a force that helps readers navigate the dilemmas of existence,” said Jnanpith award-winning Konkani writer Damodar Mauzo, stressing that writers must become the voice of their readers. He was speaking at the launch of Zanel, a poetry collection by noted Konkani poet and critic H. M. Pernal, held at the MCC Bank auditorium in Mangaluru on Friday.
Reflecting on the deeper purpose of writing, Mauzo said, “Life is a constant battle between nature and distortion, and it is filled with choices between affirmation and denial. Every human being carves their path through these decisions. Literature serves as a guiding light in this struggle. Today’s readers are not passive—they search for themselves in what they read. Writers must rise to this expectation and become their voice.”
Praising Zanel, Mauzo remarked that Pernal’s poems resonate with the tension and turmoil of modern life. “His verses often carry the shadows of darkness, yet hidden within that darkness are unspoken truths, delivered with a distinct satirical sharpness,” he noted.
Vision Konkani founder and chief guest Michael D’Souza lauded Pernal’s commitment to language and literature. “There are three things we must never forget—our parents, our mother tongue, and our motherland,” he said. “Through his literary journey, H. M. Pernal has stayed rooted in these values. Along with his colleagues, he continues to uphold and promote the essence of Konkani. Vision Konkani has already published works by 21 Konkani writers, and this movement must gain further momentum.”
Introducing the book, poet Melvyn Rodrigues, Director of the Konkani Advisory Board at the Sahitya Akademi described Zanel as a collection that transforms personal and everyday experiences into deeper philosophical insights. “At first glance, the poems may seem cloaked in darkness, but within them lie unsaid truths that strike the reader with quiet force,” he observed.
The event also saw the presence of Nandagopal Shenoy, President of the World Konkani Centre, and Kishoo Barkur, President of Kavita Trust, both of whom shared the dais.
The gathering began with a welcome address by H. M. Pernal, while noted poet and thinker Titus Noronha anchored the event.
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Kamala Harris claims she 'had a certain responsibility' to argue against Biden running again
Washington: Former US Vice President Kamala Harris said on Monday evening that she regrets not expressing her concerns about then-President Joe Biden running for a second term when a majority of Americans felt he was too old for the job.
"I have and had a certain responsibility that I should have followed through on," Harris told Rachel Maddow on MSNBC in her first live television interview since the election.
Such a conversation, even if it happened privately and behind the scenes, would have been an extraordinary breach in a relationship between a president and vice president.
Harris' comments expand on a passage in her book, "107 Days," that looks back on her experience replacing Biden as the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee after he dropped out of the race. Harris ultimately lost to Republican candidate Donald Trump.
In the book, Harris wrote that everyone in the White House would say “it's Joe and Jill's decision” about running for reelection, referring to the president and first lady. “Was it grace, or was it recklessness? In retrospect, I think it was recklessness,” she wrote.
“The stakes were simply too high. This wasn’t a choice that should have been left to an individual’s ego, an individual’s ambition. It should have been more than a personal decision.”
In her interview with Maddow, Harris said, "when I talk about the recklessness, as much as anything, I'm talking about myself.”
Harris said in the interview she was concerned that “it would come off as completely self-serving” if she had counseled Biden not to seek reelection. She had competed against him for their party's 2020 nomination, and she was well positioned to run again.
A representative for Biden declined comment.
