Events
17th Foundation Day Press Note
Ganga Zuari Academy in association with Directorate of Art & Culture, Goa Government and Maria Crescencia Menezes Education Trust, celebrated its 17th Foundation Day program at Institute Menezes Braganza Hall Panjim on 28th May 2023 from 7 PM onwards.
Master of Ceromany was Mrs. Rumi Roychoudhuri.
Program start with a melodious Rabindra Sangeet sang by renown scholar from Shantiniketan and presently a lecturer in Goa Music college Dr. Mrs. Ruposhri Das. This follows by a popular Bengali song by Mrs. Olivia Bose.
Chief Guest was Pro. Suman Kundu, Director, BITS Pillani, Goa chapter. In his address, he noted that the academy has completed 17 long years and itself an achievement. He also pointed out as academy is entering in its 18th year, a young vibrant period, there is a need for more people especially young generation to join with this academy to carry forward for next 15 years and more.
Next was GOODNESS AWARD function in memory of late Smt. Mita Dey sponsored by Dey family. In its 3rd year now, Mrs Ana Gracias was awarded for 2023 consists of Rs. 10,000/- cash, academy’s certificate and Memento and a citation by her elder daughter, Mrs. Rita Sarowor in memory of her mother. The award was presented by Chief Guest Pro. Suman Kundu to Mrs Ana Gracias. Sri Subroto Bose anchored this program.
Next program was all Goan dance competitions mastered by Mrs. Jouli Mukhopadhyay and anchored by Mrs.Dr. Profullata Roy.
Invitation for participation was advertised in local papers. 26 participants sent their dance in video format. 10 best were selected by an expert committee spread over different parts of India. These 10 participants performed their dance. An expert committee consist of Mitali, Radhika and Ashwini choose best 3 and the winners were presented with cash award and certificate . Certificate was also presented to rest of all participants.
Function was attended by about 100 plus audiences.
Manthan Discussion:
Manthan Discussions of Aug. 2023 was held on 26/08/2023 at ICG, Dona Paula from 5 pm onwards.
It was an open forum of like-minded people where deliberations, articulations and opinions flowed freely on triggered issues. These issues sprouted impromptu and slowly crawled to a wide footprint of multi-faceted topics. Discussions were on evolution of human civilization over ages, on genesis of term history and what it implies, on logically liking this with past and future and on many other topics.
It was a lively discourse. Even the passive listeners also had enough take-aways to return home richer.
Thanks to Mr. Sathe, Dr. Nigam and Dr. Basab Dutta for spearheading the conversations.
I request the above speakers and anyone who is interested to come forward for the next Sept 2023 Manthan
A Press Release of this event will be sent to Newspaper for publishing this news.
Thanks.
BOOK ON HERITAGE TOURISM RELEASED:
Heritage is where we come from. Goa has highly enriched cultural and natural (both tangible and intangible) inheritances. These legacies are now threatened from various quarters- social neglect, willful ignorance, rapid urbanization, unplanned development, cultural hegemony and above all blatant commercialization. Hence, the need now is to understand, protect and preserve these heritages.
In this direction, the Panaji-based Ganga Zuari Academy has been working to galvanise public opinion on heritage conservation. Working in tandem with the Ministry/Department of Tourism (Government of Goa), this Academy conducted six major programs during the last seven months- Prabhat Pheri, Cyclothon, and Documentary Film-fest celebrating World Mother Language Day and giving away Social Goodness Award. The last program in this series culminated with the release of a book titled HERITAGE IS OUR SOUL by the honourable Minister for Tourism Mr. Rohan Khaunte at the International Centre, Dona Paula on 29 July, Saturday.
With articles contributed by leading historians, folklore experts, university faculties, scientists, and social workers in the state, the book is sponsored by the Department of Tourism and published by a leading international publishing house. The minister called upon the educationists and intellectuals, especially those from this Academy, to help in the endeavour of his Ministry to make scientific documentation of heritage artefacts, Geographical Identification of folklores and rituals, and the Blue economy mapping of the seventeen islands of Goa in realising their full heritage-tourism potentials. Stressing that Goa tourism must travel beyond beaches, the minister insisted that the concept of Heritage–History-Tourism must be sowed at the school level and assured all help to the Academy in connecting people to the effort of the Ministry of Tourism.
Among others, Dr. Pandurang Phaldesai, Dr. Rajiv Nigam, Dr. Basavadatta Mitra, Dr. Prajal Sakhardande, Amita Sharma, Anil Bhattacharya, Amitabh Moitro and Bimalendu Dey were present at the function. Later PV Sathe anchored the monthly Manthan program of the Academy on The Ethical Dilemmas in Mahabharata. Manthan is a dialogue platform of the Academy for Commoners held last Saturday of every month.