Konkani theatre set to get a boost in Qatar, thanks to Roman Catholic priest Anand Castelino

The tiatr (folk play), Khell tiatr, One-Act Konkani play, the Khells, form part and parcel of the Goan lifestyle, but all things Goans are losing its essence in the Gulf and Qatar is no exception.

Theatre has been the cheapest and most effective system of art to get across the message to the masses.

But it is losing its ground among the Goans in the internet age. Why, the ground beneath is loose will be debated in another post.

Theatrics and budding Konkani artists may well get a shot in the arm, which they were looking for if Rev Father Anand Castelino plans to stage a skit competition for the Konkani speaking community of Qatar owing allegiance to the Our Lady of Rosary Qatar materialize.

Castelino, who is the spiritual head to the nearly 20,000 Konkani-speaking community plans to hold a five to seven minute skit competition revolving around the life of Saint Francis Xavier, patron saint of Goa and the Indies, whose incorruptible body which is the source of inspiration for many a pilgrimage to Goa.

The feast of Spain-born saint is held every on 3^rd December in Goa and Goans in Qatar will join hands with Mangalorean community in jointly celebrating the feast.

Coming back to Anand’s planed skit competition, the dynamic priest who is a fountain head of music knowledge needs to be complimented and needs our support to carry the plan to its logical conclusion.

The only loose end according to him will be making space at the fully-booked Seraphic hall to hold the skit competition.

Anand hails from Mangalore and the Mangalorean community has been picture of unity in sharp contrast to the Goans, who are a divided lot.

Skits, play and theatre hold centre stage for the Mangalorean community and they are exporting the rich traditions from Mangalore to Qatar.

Eddie Sequeira is one such play writer from the Mangalorean community, writing in the Ekvottt magazine, the Rosary church of Qatar newsletter, he has promised to highlight the life of the single worker in Qatar. Local rules demand that single workers accommodations are far away from family accommodation. That means they away from the city, in an area called Industrial area while the city units are reserved for family accommodation.

Konkani needs a giant push among the Goan community and Anand’s approach to it may well seem to be a small solution on the surafece of it, but a start has been made to the big problem for Goans in Qatar, and it is no looking back.

"Kitle aile, kitle gele, paus azun

Ambea mullant koddkoddttat

Goencho put azun!

Bhangarachem Goem amchem

Kitlem assa pois azun”, to quote Goa’s famous poet Manohar Sardessai.

NB: If the Konkani speaking community parishioners of Our Rosary Church of Qatar are fortunate to have rev father Anand, who know the in and outs of the music- reading and writing music. At the other end is a gloomy picture. A person who does know to read and write music has been successfully holds on to the reigns of the Konkani church choir. More on that in my next post, how the bird from Vasco is manipulating things, even to the extent of writing to bishops and firing poison-laden arrows at Konkani priest based in Qatar—the last one, now based in Kuwait will have a tale to tell.