A BOOK WORTH THE WAIT
Jnanpith-winning Konkani writer Damodar Mauzo’s short stories give us an inside view of the triumphs and travails of his characters, largely inspired from the villages of Goa
T“DAMODAR MAUZO'S STORIES PRESENT US WITH VIVID GLIMPSES OF THE RICHLY DIVERSE, COSMOPOLITAN REALITY OF CONTEMPORARY GOA. IN THESE PERCEPTIVE, KEENLY OBSERVED STORIES HINDUS, CATHOLICS, AND MUSLIMS ALL FIND WAYS TO CO-EXIST, IN DEFIANCE OF BIGOTRY.” – — AMITAV GHOSH, writer, Jnanpith awardee
he next time you think of Goa or plan to make a trip to the beautiful coastal state, just buy a copy of renowned Konkani writer Damodar Mauzo’s short stories. Mauzo, who received India’s highest literary honour, the Jnanpith Award in 2022, is a man of few words when it comes to public speaking. However, this short story writer-cum activist, also fondly known as Bhai (brother) is a literary giant when it comes to the written word! Despite threats to his life from fringe elements, Bhai has been a vanguard of freedom of speech and expression. He has stressed the importance of “Unity in diversity”.
Mauzo’s stories are largely set in the villages of Goa. With all their muck and beauty. He breathes a soul in every character, who fleets in and out with a languid grace in
The Wait: And Other Stories. Be it the man yearning to reunite with his girlfriend or the taxi driver (Yasin/Austin/Yatin), who slips into the identity of whoever his passenger wants him to be. A late-night call that leads a doctor down a path of lust and desire. In this book, Mauzo’s Goa with its lush paddy fields, winding roads, and anxious villagers caught in moral dilemmas is a far cry from the glitter and razzmatazz of beach resorts and uncouth tourists thronging the most happening hangouts in Goa.
Mauzo’s writing is short and nuanced – the epitome of perfection. The writer has an innate skill to say a thousand things in a few words. He manages to dig into the deepest corners of the human psyche with tongue-in-cheek humour. His characters have a susegad (relaxed and laid-back) quality. You come across villagers and sons-of-the-soil facing tough choices, kids waking up to the harsh realities of adult lives, and communities whose bonds are straining due to religious polarization. But that’s life, isn’t it? C'est la vie!
Xavier Cota, who has translated the stories from Konkani to English has done a fantastic job. The prose is short and powerful. The Wait is a collection of stories that makes the reader realize that he/she/they is blessed to have read the works of the doyens of Konkani literature.