Interview: Pundalik Naik on being a Konkani Poet

Pundalik Naik is a 46-year-old eminent Konkani literature personality, for whom social awareness spells Prose. The winner of many an award, including the Sahitya Akademi award, his novels, plays and poems are all about the facts of life.

Why do you use Konkani as your only medium of prose and poetry?

It is my mother tongue, and one thinks and expresses best with one's mother tongue alone. Although I went to a Marathi medium school and an English medium college. Konkani is my best expression.

How did you enter the world of prose and poetry?

I come from a farmer's background and as such am familiar with certain terms referring to farm activities. While in school I studied a poem describing a bull-fair. Although, the writer had described it beautifully, he had described the Maharashtrian fair rather than the type we have in Goa. I was pained by this. I began putting my thoughts on paper, found that I liked writing poetry and thus made a life out of it.

As a novelist, how would you rate Goan readership towards Konkani?

Let me answer your question in this manner. Within a span of 2 to 3 years, from the release of my novel, I sell about 1000 copies.

Why did you switch over to drama?

In my childhood I grew up in an environment filled with drama. I used to study the facts of a play, both on a literary and performing level. More than creativity, I believe one should have high craftsmanship to write drama. I wanted to satisfy the
needs of the Konkani stage, which was in darkness till 1970. I yearned to establish the base for Konkani theatre. There was a craving need for scripts for both professional and amateur stage. Therefore I turned to drama.

What do you talk about in your novels and plays?

I tackle the social happenings in Goa. I try to exhibit the problems and offer possible solutions to the masses through my writings. I am part of my society and I want to project the sorrows, miseries, problems of my people.

Elaborate some of the issues you've stressed in your works.

I've tackled issues ranging from women's problems to the problems of mines and even environmental issues. Infact other than an author and a playwright, I am also a social activist, having fought for both Konkani as an official language, and in the anti Nylon 66 campaign.

Compare the Konkani drama to the Marathi drama as a lucrative profession.

The Marathi stage is anyday a better option, monetarily than the Konkani stage. This is because Marathi drama have a vast following. Each drama can be performed over a hundred times just by touring the locales in Maharashtra. On the other hand the Konkani drama is restricted to certain (mainly Goa) places only. Furthermore, Konkani dramas are staged at zatras
and festivals only, that too free of charge, and as such the profession is not financially lucrative.

How is Konkani drama different from a tiatr?

Tiatrs in Goa have almost completed a hundred years. Goans are very fond of them, even satisfied. This is mainly because Konkani tiatrs have a lot of musical scores and a lot of light humour. On the other hand Konkani dramas are relatively new and difficult to write for because of the attention that one has to pay to techniques of grammar etc.

Your wife is a social activist and an author herself. What is your reaction to her being a career woman?

I am very proud of my wife's career. But, unfortunately, we live in a very stereotyped society where, even if a woman is financially independent, a career woman etc., she is expected to still look after the household and it's chores. What advice do you have for budding writers and playwrights?

It's a pleasant surprise when I see youngsters taking to writing novels and plays. A piece of advice though, each writer should consider himself/herself as an Indian, and as such should compare his/her work to that of writers from other states. One has also got to study a lot, so that tackling problems through novels is possible

(courtesy: IndiaWorld)