I WISH it rains cats and dogs in this auditorium. Charlie Chaplin said “I always like rain so no one can see me cry.”
I feel like crying profusely today. According to me tears in the eyes are the holiest of waters.
Today in my one eye there are tears of joy and in the other eye, tears of grief.
I am really moved by your initiative in felicitating me on my 70th birthday today. I am overwhelmed by your gesture.
As much as I am happy today, I am sad since my parents, close relatives and friends are no longer in this world to witness this felicitation.
When I was studying in IIM Ahmedabad, a learned professor told me “Never say YES when you want to say NO.” I responded “Sir, I want to add “Never say No when you want to say YES.”
Therefore when my friends approached me with the proposal of this felicitation, I did not reject the proposal. At the cost of sounding snobbish, I feel I truly deserve this felicitation. This felicitation is not of a person. I am a child of Goan renaissance. I am a child of modern times. This felicitation is of certain values, certain convictions.
Today I express my profuse gratitude towards all those who have helped me succeed in life.
I remember my late father who managed our family business for 50 years from 1935 to 1985. It was my father who insisted that I learn my secondary education in Marathi medium. Therefore I could write proficiently in Konkani and Marathi.
Whatever I am today, I owe it to my mother. I borrow the words of Poet William Wordsworth who expressed these words to his sister Dorothy
“she gave me eyes,
she gave me ears,
she gave me heart,
she gave me fears,
she gave me sweet fountain of love…”
I am extremely obliged to my sisters and brothers-in-law. My spouse Sushanta is not only my spouse but she is my friend, doctor, nurse and counsellor. I am blessed with two children: Devika and Chirag and daughter-in-law Saloni and son-in-law Neeraj. My grandchildren Ranisa, Raina, Ranvir and Rehan are the apples of my eyes.
I extend my thanks to my brother-in-law, Deep Karapurkar, who has made immense contribution to my professional success.
I am also grateful to the members of my staff.
Last but not the least — I will cherish the friendship of my numerous friends. Let our friendship grow like the waxing moon in Shukla Paksh.
I may have hurt many people due to my outspoken nature. Mark Twain said “If you are a hammer everything’s a nail.” I always consider myself as hammer and assumed others as nails. I express my profuse apologies to all those whom I might have hurt inadvertently.
Many people have troubled me in my life. I condoned their behaviour.
Friends, I have always played technically correct cricket. I have played with a straight bat. I have never been on the back foot. I have always played on the front foot.
I have observed the highest standards of morality in my personal, professional and public life.
Many a times I sound intellectually arrogant, but in my heart of hearts, I am a very humble person.
Mirza Ghalib used to like mangoes. He used to say, “Aamo main buss do khubiyahonichahiye, ekmeethe ho aurbohutsaare ho.”
(Mangoes need to have two qualities, they need to be sweet and they need to be plenty.) I have written abundant literature in my mother tongue Konkani as well as in Marathi and English. The style and substance which you witness in my literature is the cause of me being immensely popular amongst the readers.
Friends, Indian culture is not singular, it is plural. In good old times they used to call India not as “India” but as “Indias” (or “Indies”).
In African language there is a saying, “I am there because we are all there.” In Japanese language there are no sentences which say “I did this.” Japanese language always says “I was instrumental in doing this” (because of collective experience)
I am proud that I have been always bold in my public life. I promise you that in my remaining life I will not be a silent spectator. I will be frank, blunt and outspoken and will not mince my words to criticise the ruling party.
Today I am saddened to witness religious fundamentalism all over the country. I am not a pessimistic, I am a rational optimist.
We, the intellectuals have certain responsibility today. We have to create a new narrative which will make the philosophy of Hindutva redundant and irrelevant.
I end my speech with the quotations of three of my favourite authors.
In the words of Milan Kundera, “I am experiencing unbearable weight of lightness.”
Albert Camus said, “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” I add to this quote “and every flower is a fruit.”
I wish in my sunset years every leaf on the trees becomes a flower and every flower becomes a fruit.
I conclude with the words of poet Robert Frost,
“The woods are lovely, dark and deep
and I have promises to keep,
and miles to go before I sleep,
and miles to go before I sleep.”

(The acceptance speech by Datta Damodar Naik during his 70th birthday felicitation function held on Sunday, January 5, 2025 at Gomant Vidya Niketan Margao.)