-------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Goanetters annual meet in Goa is scheduled for Dec 27, 2005 @ 4pm | | | | Watch this space for more details | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here below is a MEMORANDUM featured on the internet by Fr. Jaime Couto, M.S., B.Ed,. It appears as a follow-up of a new collective "Goan Catholics for Devanagri" who recently paid their tributes to Mons. Sebastiao Rodolfo Dalgado, a diocesan priest (belonging to the Cristao Bamonn caste) on the occasion of his 150th Birth Anniversary, at a function on Dec.20, 2005, at the Menezes Braganza Hall, Panjim, apparently to counter the growing worldwide support for UNITY IN LANGUAGE (Konkani) DIVERSITY in SCRIPT and the imminent recognition shortly of Konkani in Roman script besides the present Devanagiri by an amendment to the Official Language Act 1987 in the forthcoming Assembly session in January 2006.
This is all the more certain, now that Government of Karnataka has accepted Konkani in Kannada script and a notification will follow soon before the next academic year. This writer desires to clarify on a few statements in the MEMORANDUM to set the record right, without malice to the views of Fr. Couto ---as he has every right to hold to his personal views. ****************************************************************** Re: Konkani in Roman Script is being projected as the language of the Goan Catholics. Ans: Surely no Goan in his right senses will deny this although there are many Hindus who too subscribe to both Devanagari and Roman. ****************************************************************** Re: The contenders for the Official Status for Marathi are overjoyed for the present agitation will surely help them achieve their goal! Ans: This is a myth floated by a section of the Hindu Saraswat Brahmins, during the language agitation, to divide the Catholics and the Hindu Bahujan Samaj. It is well settled that Konkani and Marathi are two distinct languages and there is no dispute on this count. The Hindu Bahujan Samaj in Goa from as far as Pernem to Canacona ACCEPT Konkani as their mother tongue (excluding perhaps those from Maharastra who have settled in Goa)but they wanted the recognition of Marathi, because they did not want to accept the sanskritised devanagari script of which the Saraswat Hindu Brahmins were familiar with and have a monopoly. Had the Cristaos familiar with the Roman script stood by their script them and not fallen into the trap of a section of the Hindu Brahmin community by compromising on script i,e accepting Devanagari much of the problems faced by the Cristaos would not be there. Remember today it is only the Diocesan schools that force the Cristaos to teach their children in Devanagiri because of the likes of Couto that are at the helm of policy making for the Church. The sooner the Catholic priests like Fr Couto, remove this fear of Marathi protogonists from their minds, they will understand the ground reality. Fr Couto would do well to accompany this writer and get a clarification on this from Mr Ramakant Khalap, and believe me Mr Ramakant Khalap himself will prepare the Official language (amendment) Act to include Konkani in Roman script as he had always advocated even during the language agitation (ask Mr Tomazinho Cardozo) but the priests like Fr Couto were misled by the likes of Uday L Bhembre (Adv) to achieve their "Hindu Saraswat Brahmins" agenda of 1939 conceptualised by Adv Manjunath at Karwar and further "formalised" clandestinely (even without the knowledge of Fr Jaime Couto) by Mr Bhembre and his lobby through the Academic Council for Konkani of the Sahitya Academy New Delhi on the 21st November, 1981,. ****************************************************************** Re: The promoters of this movement also demand that the Schools - which have been teaching Konkani in Devanagri Script for 30 years, amounting to a generation -should switch over to Konkani in Roman Script. Ans: This is untrue and a clear misunderstanding --- let it be clarified again the votaries of UNITY IN LANGUAGE (Konkani) DIVERSITY in SCRIPT (Devanagari/Roman) want both Devanagari and Roman script to move hand in hand. Let the Konkani language taught in primary schools continue to have classes both for Devanagari and also in Roman. But if the Devanagari classes close for want of minimum number of students then Fr Couto should not blame the Catholics for this unfortunate dilema of the votaries of ONLY ONE LANGUAGE ONE SCRIP(devanagari) Re: History shows us that the Catholics, other than the elite, clung to Konkani, that too mostly the spoken one, for want of other options. Ans: True it was the "Cristao Bamonns" and this includes the priests belonging to the "Bamonn" caste who paid scant regard for Konkani --- the language regarded as the language of the servants -- "lingua de serventes" . Remember the Church preaches a casteless society but practices casteism clandestinely till date. Key decision making posts are held by the Bamonn priests Confrariars, celebration of feasts is still caste based. Chardos became priests much later somewhere after the 1930s, and Shudras even later than that -- mainly because many youth are reluctant to join priesthood -- apparently because the top corridors of power in the Church is still dictated by "Bammon" priests. The acceptance of Konkani in Devanagari sidelining Roman script was one such bad decision instead of supporting both. It is sadly this same section of the people who are now advocating the use of Konkani only in Devanagari script and who constitute the meat of the newly founded "Goan Catholics for Devanagri" and hence they constitute a MINISCULE following as seen for the meet on 20th December, 2005. Therefore it is clear that the masses support Konkani in the Roman script while not having any hatred if others desire to use Devanagari script -- but ONLY DEVANAGARI -- never. ****************************************************************** Re: Last but not least is the threat of Marathi being an Official Language of Goa. That will be the end of the Goan Identity. Ans: The real threat to GOAN IDENTITY comes from Konkani being promoted only in Devanagari script. Fr Couto is perhaps unaware that when the Government of Goa advertises jobs for where knowledge of Konkani is compulsory --- it means only Konkani in Devanagari --- so what happens to the Goan knowing Konkani in Roman script? does this not deprive such Goans the job? Does Fr Couto know that Kavi Sammelans, Sangeet Sammelans, Bhajans Kirtans in temples get budgeted funds from the Department of Culture and Department of Official languages viz Goa Konkani Academy and Goa Marathi Academy only because this are the official languages recognised under the official language Act in devanagari script, while for the Mandos, Dekhnis Goa Mando Festival etc or for the Church choir or the Brass Bands which supplement our religious services the Goa Government cannot sanction any funds either for the instruments or to train Cristao children for hymns and choir groups only because these are not in Konkani devanagari script which is recognised as the official language script. Does Fr Couto suggest that the entire liturgical activities in Goa should now switch over to Konkani in Devanagri script viz translating the Bible and other hymns sung in Church in Devanagari script? ****************************************************************** GODFREY J I GONSALVES BORDA MARGAO GOA ****************************************************************** A MEMORANDUM by Fr. Jaime Couto, M.S., B.Ed There has recently been a hue and cry in the allegedly Goan Catholic Community in favour of Roman Script for Konkani. Konkani in Roman Script is being projected as the language of the Goan Catholics and the move is to seek its recognition as such under the 'minority rights' enshrined in the Indian Constitution. Consequently a demand is apparently being concocted for an amendment in the State Official Language Act of Goa that contemplates only the Konkani in Devanagri Script. The amended Act should comprise both Konkani in Devanagri Script and Konkani in Roman Script for the sake of the Minority. Rajan Narayan had already said, about 20 months ago ("Goan Observer", Feb.21-27, 2004) that the then BJP/RSS Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar "had virtually instigated the Romi Konkaniwadis to demand that the Konkani in Roman Script should also be recognised as the official language". We know very well Parriker's love for Konkani and for the Catholics! The contenders for the Official Status for Marathi are overjoyed for the present agitation will surely help them achieve their goal! The promoters ofthismovement also demand that the Schools - which have been teaching Konkani in Devanagri Script for 30 years, amounting to a generation -should switch over to Konkani in Roman Script. 1.Most of the 'reasons' brought forth are rather complaints or grievances of a presumably affected few that can be well redressed with an amicable dialogue. They do not justify at all the intended upheaval in the social, political and educational fields likely to damage the unique harmonious and secular fabric of the Goan society at large. And that too at this stage where all the educated people of 50 years and below are well conversant with the Devanagri. 2.The slogan "One Script, One Language, One Literature" of Akhil Bharoti Konknni Porishod, right from its birth in 1939,in Karwar, is blown out of proportion to make the gullible majority of Catholics take it as a threat to their culture. It does not actually mean more than the Catholic motto "One Flock and One Shepherd". It does not spell in the least a blow of death on the other scripts and an imposition whatsoever of Devanagri instead. At its widest, it is a `wishful thinking' or an ideal goal unanimously agreed upon by all the Konkanis in the session in Karwar in 1939. 3.Nothing is further from the truth than to say that Konkani was never written before the arrival of the Portuguese. Historical books and documents such as "Oriente Conquistado" and the letters of the Missionaries of that time amply indicate the existence of people who knew to read and write in the local language. Dr. Pratap Naik's contention is that Marathi was written to some extent and Konkani had been only a spoken idiom. He further says that it was the Missionaries that gave it a Script. This trend may lead to a dangerous implication that Konkani is just a dialect of Marathi. It may jeopardize all the achievements of our `giants' of the past and present, like Dr.Gerson da Cunha, Eduardo Bruno de Sousa, Mons Dalgado, Shennoy Goybab, Dr. Mariano Saldanha, Bakibab Borkar, Dr Manoharai Sardessai, Ravindra Kellekar, Purushotam Mallaia, Felicio Cardoso, Dr. Olivinho Gomes, Adv Uday Bhembre - to name only a few - in proving that Konkani is an Independent Indian Literary Language rather older than Marathi itself and, being a descendant from Sanskrit, its rightful script is Devanagari. Fr. Stephens and Fr. Maffei could be quoted in favour of the latter assertion. 4.History shows us that the Catholics, other than the elite, clung to Konkani, that too mostly the spoken one, for want of other options. It was not a "sacrifice" as such! Whereas Hindus were given the advantage of having their education in Marathi, the mavxi bhas, a sister of their mother-tongue, even at the Lyceum level. They had thus the opportunity of enjoying and interacting with the rich literature of the neighbouring regions. Hence the deep multi-centennial influence of Marathi in their social, cultural and religious life. This explains their relative reluctance till today to change their mindset and the painstaking struggle Shennoi Goybab had to endure to win over his confreres to the cause of Konkani. Shedding their centuries old Marathi tradition amounted to shedding off their own skin, as Ravindra Kellekar puts it, for the sake of Unity and Identity of Goans. 5.Dr. Pratap Naik calls "Murkh"(Stupid) the promoters of Devanagri Script. Dr. Mathew Almeida, on the other hand, casts aspersions on the slow process of transition of Hindus from Marathi to Konkani. Both being born and bred in Karnataka and consequently not fully aware of the peculiar historical circumstances that shaped the ethos of Goans, should have been more prudent in their statements. One gets the impression that they are bent on creating a rift between the two communities. 6.Familiarity with the Devanagri will definitely throw open a window to appreciate the Indian languages, such as Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi and others of the same clan. It will help the Goan Catholics to enter emotionally and socially into the main Indian stream. Or do we intend remaining a ghetto forever? Are the Goans going to be a divided society of "hindu dexi somaz" and "kristi pordexi somaz", as Fr. Moreno says? Inter-religious dialogues tend to be a farce! 7.Tremendous has been the development in the field of Konkani Literature in Devanagri. We have plenty of books of poems, essays, dramas, novels of international standards, many of which already translated into Indian and European languages. We have at least four good Konkani Dictionaries and a magnificent Konkani Encyclopedia divided into four huge volumes. It may take another 50-60 years to create such a wealth in the Roman Script. 8.Last but not least is the threat of Marathi being an Official Language of Goa. That will be the end of the Goan Identity. Fr. Jaime Couto, M.S., B.Ed [Professor of Konkani Language in Goa seminaries] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Send instant messages to your online friends http://in.messenger.yahoo.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Goa - 2005 Santosh Trophy Champions | | | | Support Soccer Activities at the grassroots in our villages | | Vacationing in Goa this year-end - Carry and distribute Soccer Balls | --------------------------------------------------------------------------