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'''Damodar Mauzo''' (born 1 August 1944) is a [[Goa]]n short story writer, novelist, critic and script writer in [[Konkani language|Konkani]]. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983 for the novel ''Karmelin'' and the Vimala V. Pai Vishwa Konkani Sahitya Puraskar award for his novel ''Tsunami Simon'' in 2011.<ref>{{cite news|title=Damodar Mauzo's 'Tsunami Simon' bags Rs 1Lakh award|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-17/goa/30409536_1_award-rs-1l-novel|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419143900/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-17/goa/30409536_1_award-rs-1l-novel|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 April 2012|accessdate=7 November 2013|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=17 November 2011}}</ref>
His collection of Short stories ''Teresa's Man and Other Stories from Goa'' was nominated for the Frank O'Connor International award in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|last=May 4|first=Govind Kamat Maad {{!}} TNN {{!}}|last2=2015|last3=Ist|first3=22:06|title='Teresa's Man and Other Stories from Goa' by Sahitya Akademi award-winning writer Damodar Mauzo has made it to the Longlist of the eleventh edition of the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award. - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Teresas-Man-and-Other-Stories-from-Goa-by-Sahitya-Akademi-award-winning-writer-Damodar-Mauzo-has-made-it-to-the-Longlist-of-the-eleventh-edition-of-the-Frank-OConnor-International-Short-Story-Award-/articleshow/47153059.cms|access-date=2020-10-11|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> He has served as a member of the executive board, general council, as well as the finance committee of the [[Sahitya Akademi]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kamat|first=Prakash|date=2015-10-18|title=Goan writer Damodar Mauzo writes to President of Sahitya Akademi|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/goan-writer-damodar-mauzo-writes-to-president-of-sahitya-akademi/article7776825.ece|access-date=2020-10-10|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
[[File:Damodar Mauzo.jpg|thumb|Damodar Mauzo]]

== Early life ==
Mauzo was born on 1 August 1944 to a Gaud Saraswat Bramhin family, in South Goa in the coastal village of Majorda. His primary education was in the Marathi and Portuguese languages, while his secondary education was in English. He studied at the New Era High School in Margao.

The writer lost his father at the age of 12. After this, he helped his uncle at the family shop alongside studying, until he passed the Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) in 1961. After this, he moved to Mumbai to continue his studies. He graduated from R.A. Podar College of Commerce and Economics in Matunga Mumbai where he got his B.Com degree from Bombay University. (Now Mumbai University.) During his four years in Mumbai, he began writing short stories in Konkani which were well received by the readers. Some of these were translated and published into English.

== Career ==
Damodar Mauzo after his graduation returned to Goa to run his family shop, this kept him close to the people of his village which is predominantly Catholic. This influence is obvious in his writing which is an authentic depiction of the life of Catholic people in Goa. He began his writing career with short stories with the first collection ''Ganthon'' published in the year 1971.So far he has authored five short story collections with ''Sapon Mogi'' in 2014 being the latest. Meanwhile, he wrote the novel ''Karmelin'' which won him the 1983 Sahitya Akademi Award. The novel deals with the suffering and sexual exploitation of the ayahs (house maids) working in [[Arab states of the Persian Gulf|Persian Gulf countries]] and it has been translated into twelve languages. ''Sood'' (1975) is a novella written about the revenge of a freedom fighter's son. In 2006, a film with the same title was made based on this novella. After the tsunami hit the coast of Tamil Nadu in 1996, he wrote a novel, ''Tsunami Simon'' that won the Vishwa Konkani Kendra's Smt. Vimla V. Pai Puraskar. He has written screenplays and/or dialogues for five Konkani films namely ''Shitoo'', ''Aleesha'', ''Sood'', ''O Maria'' and ''Enemy?''. He has been presented at the Goa Film Festival the Best Screenplay Award for ''Aleesha'' and the Best Dialogues Award for ''Shitoo'' and ''O Maria''. His stories have also been televised on the Indian national television. He critiqued stories appearing in the daily Sunaparant which was a premier Konkani daily. Although his creative output is in Konkani, he regularly writes in English for various local and national journals and periodicals. In 1985, he presided over the Akhil Bharatiya Konkani Sahitya Sammelan, which is an All India literary Conference. The Ministry of Culture, Government of India awarded him the Senior Fellowship in 2011-12 for the project on ''Pre and Post Colonial History of Konkani Literature.''

== Activism ==
An activist to the core, Damodar Mauzo actively participated in the historic ''Opinion Poll'' held in Goa in 1967 to decide the political status of then newly liberated Goa. He motivated the people of Goa to vote in favour of retaining their distinct identity by rejecting the merger with the neighbouring state of Maharashtra.
He was in the steering committee of Goa's successful popular movement ''Konkani Porjecho Avaz'' (1985–87) that had three demands viz. the Official Language status to Konkani, Statehood to Goa and Inclusion of Konkani in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India. He has served a five-year term as a member of the Executive Board and Finance Committee of Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi. Presently, he is the co-founder and co-curator of the [[Goa Arts and Literature Festival|Goa Arts and Literary Festival]], an annual event that was started in 2010.

In 2015, following the assassination of [[M. M. Kalburgi|Prof Kalburgi]], Mauzo spoke up against the freedom of expression in the country, as well as the "moral policing by the protagonists of mono-culturism". In a letter to the then president of the Sahitya Akademi, Mauzo demanded that the Akademi send a strong message to those in power that the writers’ body would not tolerate any threat to their freedom. He expressed concern over the threat to the creativity of free thinking writers, and what he called the rising trend of intolerance in India.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kamat|first=Prakash|date=2015-10-18|title=Goan writer Damodar Mauzo writes to President of Sahitya Akademi|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/goan-writer-damodar-mauzo-writes-to-president-of-sahitya-akademi/article7776825.ece|access-date=2020-10-10|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

In June 2018, Mauzo's life was under threat. The fact came to light after a special investigation team (SIT) of the Karnataka police, which was probing the murder of journalist-activist [[Gauri Lankesh]] in Bangalore, told the Goa police about the threat to Mauzo's life. The threat was allegedly from right-wing organisation Sanathan Sanstha, but the organisation denied the allegations.<ref>{{Cite web|title=After Threats To Damodar Mauzo, Activists Demand Ban On Sanatan Sanstha|url=https://www.ndtv.com/goa-news/goa-demands-ban-on-right-wing-sanatan-sanstha-after-threat-to-writer-damodar-mauzo-s-life-1891708|access-date=2020-10-10|website=NDTV.com}}</ref>

In the aftermath of the threat, the author was given police protection. Several activists and writers got together to condemn the threat to Mauzo's life, while also calling for a ban on the [[Sanatan Sanstha|Sanathan Sanstha]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Activists, Writers Condemn Threat to Author Damodar Mauzo's Life; Demand Ban on Sanatan Sanstha|url=https://thewire.in/politics/activists-writers-condemn-threat-to-author-damodar-mauzos-life-demand-ban-on-sanatan-sanstha|access-date=2020-10-10|website=The Wire}}</ref>

== Release of "''Tishttavni" :2020'' ==
In July 2020, on account of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Mauzo released a book of short stories, "''Tishttavni''" via an online session. It was Mauzo's first-ever virtual book-launch.

Most of the stories in the book are set in Goa, but some which are set in other parts of the country. The story, "Jhel Vitalltana" (As the Ice Melts) is set against the backdrop of the warfare in [[Kargil]]. Another story "Sundarkayecho Upasaka" (The Aesthetist ), is about the fallacy of a wealthy man who claims to have aesthetic wisdom. The ambiance of this story is the affluent society of [[Mumbai]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Chandawarkar|first=Rahul|date=30 July 2020|title=South Goa adapts to literature in a digital world!|url=https://www.heraldgoa.in/Cafe/South-Goa-adapts-to-literature-in-a-digital-world/163578|access-date=2020-10-10|website=O Heraldo}}</ref>

== Works ==
=== Short Fiction ===

Gathon 1971

Zagranna 1975

Rumad Ful 1989

Bhurgim Mhugelim tim 2001

Sapan Mogi 2014

=== Novels ===

Sood 1975

Karmelin 1981

Tsunami Simon 2009

=== Children's Books ===

Ek Ashillo Babulo 1976

Kani Eka Khomsachi 1977

Chittarangi 1995

=== Biographical ===

Oshe Ghodle Shenoy Goembaab 2003

Unch Haves Unch Mathem 2003

=== Works in Translation ===

Damodar Mauzo's works have been translated into various languages. The novel''Karmelin '' is translated into twelve languages, Assamese, Bengali, Maithili, Nepali, Gujarati, Marathi, Sindhi, Punjabi, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and English and published by Sahitya Akademi. The novel'' Tsunami Simon '' is translated into English and published by Ponytale Books. ''These Are My Children '' a collection of short stories is translated into English and published by Katha Publications. ''Teresa's Man and other stories from Goa'' is published by Rupa Publications while ''Rumadful'' translated as''Mirage'' is published by Under the Peepal Tree, an imprint of Publishing Next. The same book is also translated into Marathi as ''Shantaterche Ghann'', published by Srishti Prakashan. His stories have appeared in Portuguese, French, English besides several Indian languages.

== Awards ==

1973 ''Konkani Bhasha Mandal Literary Award'' for ''Gathon''

1973 ''Goa Kala Academy Literary Award'' for ''Ganthon''

1976 ''Konkani Basha Mandal Literary Award'' for ''Zagranna''

1977 ''Konkani Basha Mandal Best Drama Manuscript Award'' for ''Nillem Nillem Sovnne Ek''

1978 ''Goa Kala Academy Literary Award'' for ''Kanni Eka Khomsachi''

1983 ''Sahitya Akademi Award '' for ''Karmelim''

1997 ''The Best Dialogues Award'' at the Goa State Film Festival for the film ''Shitoo''

1998 ''Katha Award'' for the Story ''Minguel's kin''

2003 ''Janaganga Puraskar'' for ''Bhurgim Mhugelim Tim''

2005 ''The Best Screen Play Award'' at the Goa State film festival for the film ''Aleesha''

2006 ''Goa State Reward for Cultural Excellence at the National Level'' by Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Goa.

2007 ''Goa State Cultural Award'' by Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Goa.

2011 ''Vishwa Konkani Kendra's Vimala V Pai Sahitya Puraskar'' for ''Tsunami Simon''

2013 ''Goan Achievers Award''conferred by ''[[The Navhind Times]]'' and Viva Goa.

2014 ''The Best Dialogues Award '' for the film ''O Maria''at the Goa State film festival.

2016 ''Podar Ratna''awarded by R.A.Podar College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai

== Personal life ==
Damodar Mauzo lives in Majorda, Goa with his wife Shaila. He has three daughters Rupali, Meghana and Sobita. Among them Rupali Mauzo Kirtani has taken to pen and has so far has authored three books.

==References==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mauzo, Damodar}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Writers from Goa]]
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian short story writers]]
[[Category:Indian children's writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian biographers]]
[[Category:Konkani-language writers]]

Damodar Mauzo - Revision history

>GreenC bot at 15:31, 16 April 2021