Kunbi Jakki

Kunbi Jakki is a four-act Konkani play written by the Goan playwright João Agostinho Fernandes.

The play represents the sole published work by Fernandes for which the playwright sought formal copyright protection, filing the paperwork in September 1941.

He is a young Kunbi who is a middle school graduate but is denied a white-collar job and later opts for manual labor.

However, Jakki maintains a steadfast belief in the dignity of manual labor as a vital method for providing for himself and his family, demonstrating dedication in his approach to work.

However, Jakki's strategic prowess emerges as he overcomes the obstacles presented by Arius and Roque, steering the plot through its progression towards a decisive conclusion.

He is inclined to mistreat and create challenges for the underprivileged and marginalized members of the community and is an inequitable and unethical man who unjustly withholds employment from qualified candidates and engages in bribery.

Through his witty remarks and interactions with various characters, including those of higher education and his peers, he injects humor into the narrative consistently.

Costaum's lack of literacy does not hinder his ability to cleverly play with Portuguese words, creating humorous puns that resonate when articulated in the Konkani language.

Costaum showcases his wit by succinctly describing the secondary school teachers to his wife Bostean as men with long beards, bald heads, and potbellies.

In an attempt to influence Jakki's decisions regarding his wedding arrangements, Arius advises against holding the ceremony in a church and wearing religious symbols like the brown scapular.

In addition to his significant role in the primary conflict of the play, Arius conveys his anti-Christian philosophical beliefs by discussing various ideologies such as Materialism, Spiritualism, Rationalism, Egoism, Atheism, Pantheism, Fetishism, Bolshevism, Socialism, Communism, and Casteism.

The cover displayed an illustration depicting a moment from Kunbi Jakki, according to GPNS president Dr. M. R. Ramesh Kumar.

[2] Also in same month of December,[3] Goa-based writer Willy Goes authored a novel in the Konkani language named Kapaz Jaki, drawing inspiration from the work Kunbi Jakki.