The founder of the World Konkani Centre in Mangaluru, Basti Vaman Shenoy (87), passed away due to age-related illness in Mangaluru on Sunday.
Born in Bantwal of Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, Basti Vaman Shenoy founded the World Konkani Centre in 2009 in Mangaluru under Konkani Bhas Ani Sanskriti Pratishthan.
Shenoy served as the President of Konkani Bhas Ani Sanskriti Pratishthan from its inception in 1996 till 2021 and served as the Co-Chairman Emeritus thereafter. He was instrumental in bringing together the Konkani people spread across various castes, religions and regions in the service of the mother tongue. Under his leadership, the World Konkani Centre spearheaded several programmes to preserve the Konkani language, culture and welfare of Konkani-speaking communities.
After he retired from Syndicate Bank in 1992, he organised the World Konkani Convention in 1995 as the president of Konkani Bhasha Mandal Karnataka, bringing together all factions of Konkani-speaking communities. He also worked to recognise the Konkani language and inclusion in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India.
He also served as the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy president from 1997 to 2001.
The Konkani Bhas Ani Sanskriti Pratishthan has instituted Basti Vaman Shenoy Vishwa Konkani Seva Puraskar for the outstanding public service by the Konkani people.
He leaves behind two sons, a daughter, grandchildren and a large family of followers, well-wishers and thousands of scholars who have been beneficiaries of the Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship programme.