Uday Bhembre

Uday Laxmikant Bhembre was born on 27 December 1939 in Margão, Goa, Portuguese India during the Portuguese Empire (now in India). He is the son of freedom fighter Laxmikant Bhembre. After his early education in Goa, Bhembre went to Bombay in 1957 pursuing higher education. Bhembre is an alumnus of Bombay's Siddharth College. He joined Mumbai's Akashvani centre and became a lyricist. Bhembre is a lawyer by profession. ==Activism==

Bhembre has been a vociferous advocate for the cause of Konkani language. He played a great role in various movements related to the language. In the Goa Opinion Poll, Bhembre campaigned against Goa's merger with Maharashtra. At that time, he authored a column in the popular anti-merger Marathi newspaper Rashtramat. In his column entitled Bhahmastra, Bhembre campaigned for the anti-merger camp and his column played a great role in influencing the Goans in supporting the anti-merger camp. Bhembre was also a leader of the Konkani language agitation, and he played a great role in the movement which led to the enactment of the Goa, Daman and Diu Official Language Act, 1987. This Act made Konkani as Goa's official language. Bhembre was also the President of the Konkani Bhasha Mandal. ==Works==

Bhembre neglected creative writing in order to take ahead the Konkani movement at social and organisational level. His articles in Rashtramat have been composed into a book entitled Brahmastra (his column in Rashtramat bore the same title). Channyache Rateem, a collection of his poems and songs, has also been published. Bhembre's Karna Parv was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award. He also served as the editor of the now defunct Konkani language newspaper, Sunaparant. ==Political career==

In the 1984 elections to the Goa, Daman and Diu Legislative Assembly, Bhembre was pitched as an independent candidate by the united opposition in the Margao Assembly constituency, against Indian National Congress party's Babu Naik. He defeated Naik and became a member of the legislature. He played a pivotal role in the framing of the Goa, Daman and Diu Official Language Act, 1987. ==Awards and honours==

Bhembre was awarded the Kullagar Puraskar (1999), Gundu Sitaram Amonkar Memorial Award (2001), Konkani Bhasha Mandal Patrakarita Puraskar (2008), Bhangrallem Goem Asmitai (2014) Puraskar among others. Bhembre has been honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award in Konkani language for the year 2015. He was awarded the prestigious award for his play, Karna Parv. He has also been appointed the Chair Professor of Poet Bakibab Borkar Chair of Goa University. ==References==