Message for the World Konknni Day On August 20, 1992 Konknni was included in the Eighth Schedule of Constitution of India through an amendment. Thus on this day Konknni became one of the official languages of India. 20 August is observed as Konknni Day by Konknnis (Konknni speakers) in India and abroad.
Providentially or accidentally this year 20 August falls on Sunday and the Catholic Church all over the world observes it as Justice Sunday. Let us be proud that our mother tongue Konknni is an Official Language of India. When Konknni was included in the Eighth Schedule the script of Konknni is not mentioned. Hence from this fact we could definitely conclude that Konknni language was recognized and not any one of its scripts. Konknnis are spread out in various parts of India and world. They have preserved their mother tongue through their own native dialects and scripts. Therefore, Konknni is alive and continues to be a dynamic language. If a section of Konknnis insists or imposes with a particular dialect or script, Konknni will become an archaic language. In Goa Roman and Devanagari scripts are used for Konknni. Unfortunately, Roman script has not got the official status due to the selfishness of a section of Konknnis. Unless Roman script gets equal and official status there is no real justice to Konknni. If there is no justice to Konknni written in Roman script we cannot talk about brotherhood and sisterhood. Mere celebration of Konknni Day has no meaning without equality and dignity to all sections of Konknnis. On World Konknni Day let us reflect on the following words of J.H. da Cunha Rivara (23 June 1800 - 20 February 1879), a Portuguese Govt. official who was the General Secretary to the Portuguese Governor General of India in Goa for more than 15 years. Pratap Naik, S.J. Director Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr B.B.Borkar Road Alto Porvorim, Goa - 403 521 "It is now time to undo the damage caused. The time has come to restore the mother tongue to its rightful place. To you, then, the Goan Youth, is reserved this great work, essential element of the intellectual and social regeneration of your countrymen! The methodical culture of the mother tongue will bring you closer to the Marathi Language; it will facilitate the knowledge of the Asiatic and European languages, ancient and modern, and thereby useful knowledge will be opened to your intelligence; and the treasures of the world, till now hidden from you, due to the absence of this instrument of exploration, will be opened to you. Let fools laugh and shout from the depth of their ignorance that the language has no grammar, that it is not capable of being written and that as it is in common use now by only a few individuals, the exertion on its study is insufficiently compensated; that its varieties and dialects from province to province, even from caste to caste, make it complicated and unintelligible, and that is so corrupted that it cannot be purified. If however, you feel that these ignorant critics deserve a reply, tell them that this book and all others that will follow it prove t whether the language has a grammar or not, whether it is conducive to writing or no. Do not be ashamed to imitate the example of the British nation, exerting itself to cultivate in Europe, the semi-barbarous dialect of Malta, spoken scarcely by 70,000 persons, and in India the harsh Jataki or Baloochi, the Pushtu of Afghan and other such languages. Tell them that the varieties of Konkani, from province to province or from caste to caste, are not greater than the dialects of old Greek, modern Italian, French or German etc. And lastly its very corruption should be an incentive to you to improve it, to purge it, rather than to despise it. And if they yet persist in their outcry, do not give heed to it but move on. Indeed, this enterprise is not easy, but it useful, it is honourable, it is glorious. And that you may have as far as possible a light-house to guide you in the midst of darkness caused by the foolishness of some and the malice of others, we conclude by listing for you some aids to which you may have recourse." From: ESSAY ON KONKANI LANGUAGE By J.H. da Cunha Rivara _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list [email protected] http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org
