V. J. P. Saldanha

Vincent John Peter Saldanha (9 June 1925 – 22 February 2000), better known as V. J. P. Saldanha, was an Indian Konkani language littérateur, dramatist, novelist, short-story writer and poet. He made significant contributions to Konkani literature as a poet, dramatist, novelist, and a litterateur.

Early life and education Vincent John Peter Saldanha was born on 9 June 1925, the eight child to Martin Ligoury Saldanha and Theresa Saldanha in the Omzoor locality of Mangalore. They were Mangalorean Catholics, and belonged to the Saldanha-Prabhu clan of Omzoor. Saldanha attended St. Joseph's Higher Elementary School in Mangalore. During this period, he wrote regularly to Abhyudaya (Development), the school's handwritten magazine in Kannada. He was also very popular in writing and staging skits and short plays in school.

Soon after his intermediate studies, he took up a job as a physical instructor and a teacher of English at the Padua High School in Mangalore. Saldanha was also interested in sports and physical development. He used to read foreign books on muscle building, Later, he migrated to Bombay. With his good command of English and handwriting skills, he was offered a job by the Hindustan Insurance Cooperative Society. Saldanha resigned from the job in 1950, the same year in which he began his literary career. Saldanha remained an editor of Poinnari till 1958. Upon his return to Mangalore that same year, he started a Kannada daily called Navabharatha (New India) in which he worked as the sub-editor. The daily later closed down due to lack of funds. He also authored a few detective novels such as Torichi Dal (Pigeon Pea), Tambddi Pitul (Red Copper) and Ruzvaath (The Evidence). Among his best known historical novels are Belthangaddicho Balthazar (Balthazar of Belthangadi), Devache Krupen (By the Grace of God), Sardarachi Sinol (The sign of the Knights) and Infernachi Daram (The gates of Hell). All of these above novels deal with the arrest of 60,000 Mangalorean Catholics and their deportation to Seringapatam by Tipu Sultan in 1784. In recognition for his prolific contributions to Konkani literature, Saldanha was the recipient of several awards, most notably by the All-India Writers' Conference in 1975. At the age of 44, he married Lilly D'Souza, a school teacher from Kasargod on 29 December 1969. They had two sons: Elvio Francis and Ransom Jude. His elder son Elvio died prematurely on 25 February 1981, aged 11.

Last years In 1978 at the age of 53, Saldanha obtained his master's degree in Sociology. He also developed an avid interest in Alternative medicine (more specifically point pressure) methods and Dr. Edward Bach's herbal remedies. He co-authored a book on Naturopathy with Dr. I.G. Hukkeri. Later, he did a course in Naturopathy and obtained the ND, DHM, MD (AM) and RMP (AM) degrees. On 16 January 1994, Saldanha was appointed President of the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Akademi by the Karnataka Government.