----- Original Message ----- From: Ancy S DSouza Paladka <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, June 26, 2005 9:38 PM Subject: [Goanet]Mumbai - KONKNNI ULËY KONKNNI XIKËY programme at 10 locations.
> KONKNNI ULËY KONKNNI XIKËY programme at 10 locations in Mumbai. > > Maharashtra Konkan Association Mumbai has organised a KONKNNI ULËY > KONKNNI XIKËY (Speak Konkani, Teach Konkani) programme at 10 various > locations of a metropolitan city of Mumbai in order encourage people > to communicate in Konkani and also to teach them to read and write in > Konkani using Roman script. Rev. Dr. Pratap Naik director of Thomas > Stephen's Konkani Kendr, Goa along with his team will be the main > resource person for this entire programme. > COMMENT: This is extremely good news, indeed! > > Most of the languages in India have about five to seven basic vowels > excluding long vowels and diphthongs. But Konkani language has 16 > basic vowels excluding equal number of long vowels and lots of > diphthongs. Different types of nasal vowels is the specialty and > greatness of Konkani language. > COMMENT: Very interesting. > > But Thomas Stephen Konkani Kendr Goa has formulated a new Orthography > for writing Konkani in Roman script by modifying the existing Roman > script orthography used by Goan Christians. This script is so simple > that Konkani can be written by representing exact sounds using the > normal computer keyboard keys. This script is the result of their > research of number of years after consulting the prominent writers and > linguists in Goa, Mangalore and Mumbai. Now as the script has taken > its final shape it will be taught to the people in different regions > of the entire Konkani world. Mumbai is the first city where this > script will be taught for the first time. > COMMENT: Again, excellent news. > > Since Konkani doesn't have its own script, no script was mentioned > while including it in the 8th schedule of the Indian constitution. > COMMENT: I hope everybody takes good note of this information. The imposition of the Devnagari script in Goan schools is therefore a prepotence of certain interested quarters, political and otherwise, thus inconveniencing Christian writers who mostly (if not exclusively) use the Roman script. > We will be also launching a website very soon to teach this new script > to the global world. Konkani periodicals in Kannada script have > already obliged to publish a regular column to teach this new method > of writing Konkani in Roman script. For Goans it is very easy to adopt > this script as they already have the habit of reading Konkani in Roman > script. Hence this is a very constructive methodology to promote > Konkani to the new generation even outside Goa and Karnataka. > COMMENT: I shall look forward with utmost interest to the proposed website. I hope it comes out soon. In the meantime I would place the following question to Mr. Ancy Paladka: Instead of «KONKNNI ULËY KONKNNI XIKËY» shouldn't it have been «KONKNNI ULÔY KONKNNI XIKÔI»? Jorge
