Margao: The Konkani Bhasha Mandal (KBM) has unanimously rejected the resignation of veteran writer Datta Damodar Naik from its primary membership, days after the Mandal and the Akhil Bharatiya Konkani Parishad (ABKP) jointly condemned his article on the pioneer of the Konkani movement, Shenoi Goembab.Naik had resigned on July 7, hours after the joint statement, and also withdrew the remaining amount of a Rs 1 crore donation he had pledged to KBM, saying he did not want his money to go into the hands of “wrong people”.In a press release issued after its working committee meeting, KBM said the decision to decline the resignation stemmed from “deep respect” for Naik’s role in nurturing the Konkani movement, adding that his continued presence was “vital” to the cause.The mandal acknowledged that differences of opinion would always persist, but described them as part of the movement’s democratic spirit. “We have always thrived by debating diverse viewpoints, only to unite resolutely on matters of common concern,” the release said, adding that such differences should not cause “a valued veteran” to distance himself from the movement.On Naik’s decision to withdraw his donation, KBM said it respected his choice.The row had erupted over Naik’s article on Goembab, which KBM said portrayed him in a poor light.
