Konkani activist and author passes away

N. Purushothama Mallya, 97, Konkani language activist, author and Padma Shri awardee, died on Friday (September 11) after a brief illness at his residence near TD Temple in Cheralaya.

He was the honorary secretary and founder of the Konkani Bhasha Prachar Sabha. He campaigned for Konkani to be made the national language and linguistic minority status for the Konkani community in Kerala. He is survived by his wife Sarojini Bai, daughter Sushmitha Mallya Rao and son Nagesh P. Mallya.

Published – 11 Sep 2026 19:26 IST