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{{Short description|Indian littérateur and dramatist (1925–2000)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2014}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = V. J. P. Saldanha
| image =
| birth_date = 9 June 1925
| death_date = 22 February 2000 (aged 74)
| nationality=Indian
| birth_place = [[Mangalore]], [[Kingdom of Mysore]], [[British India]]
| birth_name = Vincent John Peter Saldanha
| death_place = Mangalore, [[Dakshina Kannada]], India
| occupation = [[littérateur]], dramatist, novelist, short-story writer, and poet
| genre = Historical fiction, [[detective fiction]]
| spouse = {{marriage|Lilly Saldanha|1969}}
| website =
| alma_mater = [[St. Aloysius College (Mangalore)|St. Aloysius College]]
| years_active = 1950–1994
| children = 2
}}

'''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 language#Literature|Konkani literature]] as a poet, dramatist, novelist, and a litterateur.<ref name="vjp2"/>

Saldanha maintained a strong [[Catholic]] identity in his writings, and his main themes were the sufferings of 60,000 [[Mangalorean Catholics]] during their [[Captivity of Mangalorean Catholics at Seringapatam|15-year captivity at Seringapatam]] imposed by the Muslim ruler [[Tipu Sultan]] from 1784 to 1799, and the oppression of [[Goan Catholics]] during the [[Goa Inquisition]].<ref name="ds1">{{harvnb|D'Souza|2004|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=aAli0XqprNMC&pg=PA1 1]}}</ref><ref name="sa1"/> He was popularly referred to by his pen-name '''''Khadap''''' (The Rock).<ref name="vjp2">{{harvnb|Akademi|George|1992|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=m1R2Pa3f7r0C&q=Balthazar+of+Beltangadi%2CM1&pg=PA217 217]}}</ref>

==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]],<ref name="Omzoor">{{harvnb|D'Souza|2004|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=aAli0XqprNMC&pg=PA59 59]}}</ref> and belonged to the Saldanha-Prabhu clan of Omzoor.<ref name="Prabhu">{{harvnb|Lobo|2000|p=468}}</ref> 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 language|Kannada]]. He was also very popular in writing and staging skits and short plays in school.<ref name="ds6"/> He later joined [[St. Aloysius College (Mangalore)|St. Aloysius College]] in Mangalore to pursue his intermediate studies.<ref name="sa1">{{harvnb|Sardesai|2000|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=1YILeUD_oZUC&dq=Mangalorean+Christians+main+theme+captivity&pg=PA256 256]}}</ref>

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.<ref name="ds6">{{harvnb|D'Souza|2004|p=6}}</ref> Saldanha was also interested in sports and physical development. He used to read foreign books on muscle building,<ref name="ds6"/> and also used to train youth in weightlifting.<ref name="ds7">{{harvnb|D'Souza|2004|p=7}}</ref>
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.<ref name="ds7"/>

==Literary career==
In [[Mangalore]], Saldanha had started and edited a [[Kannada language|Kannada]] called the ''Kannadavani''.<ref name="VJP"/> Saldanha published his first six-page Konkani weekly ''Poinnari'' (Traveller) on 10 September 1950 in Bombay. ''Poinnari'' was the third Konkani weekly published by Mangalorean Catholics; the first being ''Konknni Dirvem'' (Konkani Treasure), published in 1912 by Louis Mascarenhas, and the second was ''Raknno'' (Guardian), a weekly published by the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Mangalore]].<ref name="ds8">{{harvnb|D'Souza|2004|p=8}}</ref> Saldanha remained an editor of ''Poinnari'' till 1958.<ref>{{harvnb|D'Souza|2004|p=10}}</ref> 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.<ref name="VJP"/>

Saldanha had written 14 books on the sufferings endured by the [[Mangalorean Catholics]] during their [[Captivity of Mangalorean Catholics at Seringapatam|captivity at Seringapatam]], the oppression of [[Goan Catholics]] during the [[Goa Inquisition]], and the rule of [[Tipu Sultan]].<ref name="ds62">{{harvnb|D'Souza|2004|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=aAli0XqprNMC&pg=PA62 62]}}</ref> He also authored a few detective novels such as ''Torichi Dal'' (Pigeon Pea), ''Tambddi Pitul'' (Red Copper) and ''Ruzvaath'' (The Evidence).<ref name="sa1"/><ref>{{harvnb|D'Souza|2004|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=aAli0XqprNMC&pg=PA33 33]}}</ref> Among his best known historical novels are ''Belthangaddicho Balthazar'' (Balthazar of [[Belthangady|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.<ref name="vjp2"/> In these novels, Tipu is portrayed as cunning, haughty, hard-hearted, revengeful, yet full of self-control.<ref name="vjp2"/> On the other hand, he portrays the Mangalorean Catholic community of the eighteenth century as brave, hardworking and selfless.<ref name="sa1"/> The Mangalorean Catholic characters of his novels such as Balthazar of Belthangadi, Sardar Simaon Prabhu of Omzoor, Sardar Anthon Shet of [[Falnir]], Dumga Peenth and Agnes Kuvorn display tremendous courage, nobility and selfless service.<ref name="sa1"/>

His novel ''Saiba Bhogos'' (Forgive O God!) deals with the Goa Inquisition and Portuguese oppression of the Goan Hindus and Catholics in the eighteenth century.<ref name="sa1"/> Saldanha received wide praise and critical acclaim for his novels. One of his novels, ''Sardarachi Sinol'', was even turned into a very successful play.<ref name="sa1"/> Saldanha was also a poet; his best known poem being ''Konkanche Shethkaar'' (The Farmers of Konkan).<ref>{{harvnb|D'Souza|2004|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=aAli0XqprNMC&pg=PA75 75]}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Prabhu"/>

==Personal life==
Saldanha was a devout [[Roman Catholicism|Roman Catholic]] and a devotee of the [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Virgin Mary]].<ref>{{harvnb|D'Souza|2004|p=20}}</ref> 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.<ref name="VJP"/> His wife died on 21 December 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.daijiworld.com/chan/ob_disp.asp?oid=3132 |title=Obituary – Lilly Saldanha – 76 |publisher=[[Daiji World|Daijiworld Media Pvt Ltd Mangalore]] |access-date=27 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012082114/http://www.daijiworld.com/chan/ob_disp.asp?oid=3132 |archive-date=12 October 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==Last years==
In 1978 at the age of 53, Saldanha obtained his master's degree in Sociology.<ref name="VJP">{{harvnb|D'Souza|2004|p=11}}</ref> He also developed an avid interest in [[Alternative medicine]] (more specifically [[pressure point|point pressure]]) methods and [[Edward Bach|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.<ref name="VJP"/>

The last decade of Saldanha's life was devoted to the compilation of an English–Konkani dictionary. This work entitled ''20th Century English–Konkani Concise'' ([[Kannada script|Kannada]] and [[Devanagari script]]s) was never completed during his lifetime, and as a result, went unpublished. The dictionary contained the meanings of more than 160,000 Konkani words.<ref>{{harvnb|D'Souza|2004|p=13}}</ref> On 16 January 1994, Saldanha was appointed President of the ''Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Akademi'' by the Karnataka Government.<ref name="Prabhu"/> Shortly after this, he suffered a debilitating stroke, as a result of which he was confined to his home. He died of [[heart failure]] on 22 February 2000.<ref>{{harvnb|D'Souza|2004|p=18}}</ref>

==Citations==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
{{refbegin|2}}
*{{cite book
|title=V.J.P. Saldanha (Makers of Indian literature)
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aAli0XqprNMC
|publisher=Sahitya Akademi
|year=2004
|last=D'Souza
|first=Edwin J. F.
|isbn=978-81-260-2028-7
|access-date=16 June 2008}}
*{{cite book
|last=Sardesai
|first=Manohar Rai
|author-link= Manohar Rai Sardesai
|publisher=Sahitya Akademi
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1YILeUD_oZUC
|title=A History of Konkani Literature: From 1500 to 1992
|year=2000
|isbn=81-7201-664-6
|access-date=16 June 2008}}
*{{Cite book
|last2=George
|first2=K. M.
|last1=Akademi
|first1=Sahitya
|editor2-last=George
|editor2-first=K. M.
|editor1-last=Akademi
|editor1-first=Sahitya
|author-link2=K. M. George (writer)
|year=1992
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m1R2Pa3f7r0C
|title=Modern Indian Literature—An Anthology; Volume 2—Fiction
|publisher=Sahitya Akademi
|isbn=978-81-7201-324-0
|access-date=16 June 2008}}
*{{Cite book
|last=Lobo
|first=Michael
|author-link=Michael Lobo
|publisher=Camelot Publishers
|title=Distinguished Mangalorean Catholics, 1800–2000: a historico-biographical survey of the Mangalorean Catholic community
|year=2000
|isbn=978-81-87609-01-8
}}.
{{refend}}

{{Wikiquote|V.J.P. Saldanha}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saldanha, V.J.P.}}
[[Category:1925 births]]
[[Category:2000 deaths]]
[[Category:Writers from Mangalore]]
[[Category:Mangalorean Catholics]]
[[Category:Indian Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Indian historical novelists]]
[[Category:Indian male short story writers]]
[[Category:Konkani-language writers]]
[[Category:Konkani short story writers]]
[[Category:Konkani-language poets]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian short story writers]]
[[Category:Indian male novelists]]
[[Category:Novelists from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Poets from Karnataka]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male writers]]

V. J. P. Saldanha - Revision history

ItsNaviGrewal: creating entry