G.R. Crasto (left) receiving the 'Man of the Year' award at Vidya Niketan, Margao Bahrain - Jul 28, 2007: BAHRAIN resident Gabriel Crasto received the Man of the Year 2006 Award from the Goan Review Art Foundation. The foundation, a cultural and social body based in Mumbai, promotes the Konkani language. This is the first time it has bestowed the award on a Goan based outside India. Mr Crasto, a long-time Bahrain resident, was recognised for his active participation in various cultural programmes and social services linked to the country's Goan community.
Section of the audience at the ceremony
A trophy, cash award and certificate were presented to him at a ceremony held in Margao, Goa, as part of the glamorous Gulab Awards for Konkani artistes and other noted personalities from the Goan community.
The Young Goans Club also honoured him at a membership night event held at the Atlas Hotel in Manama.
The Jalal Travel Agency manager, who has lived in Bahrain for 25 years, is an active member of the Konkan Singers and served in different capacities on the club's managing committee.
He is currently Bahrain Goans Football League chairman and a contributor to Konkani publications in Goa and Mumbai.
Mr Crasto also received the 1982 Konkani Bhasha Mandal award for his Konkani play 'Kalina', that highlighted the ill-effects of dowry.
The play also won prizes from local Konkani groups including the Riffa Goans and New Stars Productions.
"This award is dedicated to my friends in Bahrain who have always supported and accommodated me in organising social, cultural and charitable activities among the Konkani speaking community of Bahrain," he told the GDN, from Goa, where he is on holiday.
Mr Crasto also urged community groups and organisations to recognise Young Goans Club president Francis Correia, who helped provide an avenue for his community work.
"Mr Correia is the topmost personality of Goans on the island, and it's time for the organisations concerned like the NRI Goa Facilitation Centre to recognise his services and reward him accordingly," he said.
Navelim born G.R. Crasto has been one of the prominent members of the famous Young Goans Club, Bahrain. For the last many years he has been elected for different posts at the club. Though he is not in the committee for the current season, he is involved in all programs conducted by the club. GR is also a member of Konkan Singers and FFR Productions which organize cultural and other programs on regular basis.
Apart from writing exclusively for Gulab & Goan Review magazines, GR has written a series of episodes in the Young Goans' club magazine under the title 'Amchea Club-ant Azo & Bozo'.
GR got to learn Konkani just for one year in school. He left Konkani and switched to French because he found it hard to learn the Devnagri Konkani. GR has been writing in Roman Konkani right from his school days. His first short story was published in UZVADD weekly magazine. His writings were also published in GOENCHO MOG, Novem Goem and the English daily West Coast Times. He has regularly written poems, short stories, one-act plays and dramas. His teacher at school, late Shri Felicio Cardoso was one of his great friends. Some of the dramas staged by GR are 'Harijan', 'Fulam ani Kantte', etc. His one-act play 'Kalina' won the Konkani Bhasha Mandal Award. In Bahrain, GR has won many prizes for his plays at one-act play competitions organized by Young Goans, Riffa Goans & New Star Productions.
GR also headed a football team called United Goans which ran for over 5 years in Bahrain. Along with his friend Francis Correia, GR formed the Goan Dramatic Troupe. Under this group they organized many dramas and Musical shows, the first being Fr. Freddy Da Costa's 'Khata Pita Dev Dita'. For the last 20 years, Young Goan Dramatic Troupe has organized atleast 25 mega shows. All the profit made from the shows has been utilized for a good cause especially for uplifting the Konkani language. GR can be said as the main person to bring Goan and Mangalorians artistes together on a common platform in Bahrain.
Crasto receiving Excellence in Airline Award from Indian Embassy Charge de Affairs
GR has also utilized his good office to get special Air India flights for Goans during St. Francis Xavier's Exposition. In recent times he moved a delegation to the Indian Ambassador at Bahrain with problems faced by the labor and lower class Indians.