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2006 * * * Y E A R * * * O F * * * T H E * * * S E N I O R
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Goa Sudharop Annual Awards on November 20, 2006 @ Mandovi Hotel @ 4:30pm
Chief Guest: Dr. Asha Vishwanath Sawardekar
A series of essays as a tribute to Goan Seniors can be found at:
http://www.goanet.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=524
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On Thu, November 16, 2006, Shri Eduardo Faleiro, former Union Minister,
spoke at the Xavier Center of Historical Research, Alto Porvorim, Goa. The
theme of his talk was the language issue in Goa.
The below article is based on that talk.
LANGUAGE AND BEYOND
By Eduardo Faleiro
At the time of the conquest of Goa by the Portuguese in the early sixteenth
century Konkani and Marathi were the languages prevailing here. Authors
differ on their opinion as to whether both languages were written or marathi
alone was the literary language and Konkani, the spoken language. Noted
Goan historian Panduranga Pisurlenkar observes:
"If the language spoken in Goa is Konkani, the literary language of the Goan
Hindus is traditionally Marathi. Cunha Rivara and Mons. Sebastiao Rodolfo
Dalgado believed that there was literature in Konkani language and that it
was destroyed by the Portuguese due to religious intolerance. We may,
however, note that the Portuguese territory of Goa before 1763, consisted
only of the Old Conquests namely Tiswadi, Salcete and Bardez; the rest of
the same territory was not under the Portuguese rule. It is therefore
logical that had there been any book or document written in this language it
would have been found in the New Conquests. The truth is that there are no
vestiges whatsoever of the existence of a Konkani literature before the
conquest of Goa by the Portuguese. There was certainly literature in Goa
but written in marathi and sanskrit". (Goa Pre-Portuguesa atraves dos
escritores lusitanos dos seculos XVI & XVII, pp 49 et seq).
Fr. Antonio Pereira remarks "marathi was the hieratic language of Goa though
not understood by the masses for whom Konkani was more familiar and homely:
'lingua da terra vulgar', the popular language of the place." After the
Portuguese conquest, foreign missionaries wrote konkani in the roman script.
"As a rule the majority of the books of the Jesuits and Franciscans, in
prose are in konkani and those in poetry are in marathi". (The Makers of
Konkani Literature, p.11).
Other writers hold a different view. According to Prof. Lourdino Rodrigues
"today we know with incontestable evidence that Goa had a konkani version of
Ramayana and Mahabharata in the 16th century and konkani was such a highly
developed language that its vocabulary was richer than portuguese and
marathi." (Pre sixteenth century Mohabharat Adi Porv' p.XI ).
The first significant publication in Konkani by a Goan during the Portuguese
era was "Udentechem sallok" (Lotus of the East), a fortnightly published
from Pune by Eduardo Bruno de Souza, in 1889. Konkani in roman script was
kept alive by Goan catholics who migrated to Bombay and other parts of India
and who had studied the script in the Portuguese primary schools at the end
of the 19 th and beginning of the 20th century. The reason, according to
Mons. Dalgado was that whilst the Portuguese were intolerant towards the
local languages, the British administration would promote them. "The
British administration far from persecuting and ostracizing the native
languages assumes as one of its main duties to open schools everywhere and
provide generous grants to private schools for their teaching, to stimulate
in every way the attendance of the students, to use these languages in the
preparation for higher studies, to promote text books so that even rough
dialects are written . Look at the Goan community in Bombay which is more
in contact with the British administration and with the intellectual
activities of its subjects; it has for the last several years, periodicals
in the mother tongue, literary publications, mostly translations or
adaptations as it always happens in the initial stages and even dramatic
productions which are appreciated by those who do not know or know only
superficially European languages." (Dicionario Portuguez-Konkani,
pp.XIV-XV).
Konkani literature in devanagari script was pioneered by Vaman Varde
Valaulikar (Shenoi Goenbab) in the early Twentieth Century. It gained
impetus after Liberation and more so after the enactment of the Official
Language Act. Konkani has a great potential as a literary language because
of its strong cultural heritage, an admixture of the east and the west, its
plurality of religious beliefs and its rich musical tradition.
The Official Language Act was enacted in 1987. It is intended to achieve
greater unity and harmony among our people and to strengthen our common
cultural heritage. If in the process of implementing the Official Language
Act any section of the population feels aggrieved, such complaints should be
examined sympathetically. Several suggestions for redressal of grievances
were brought to my notice over the last few months. They relate to
membership of literary bodies, grants to writers, publication of konkani
books in devanagari as well as roman script etc. I have spoken to the Chief
Minister as well as to the Minister for Art and Culture regarding these
suggestions and I am confident that they will be looked into to the
satisfaction of all concerned. Representatives of the aggrieved interests
may now interact with the Government and work out the modalities.
School education is intended mainly to provide a suitable career, economic
and social status and better prospects in life. India is today among the
fastest growing economies in the world. Economic success of a Nation leads
to cultural assertion. In emerging India it will be necessary to be fluent
in at least two Indian languages including Hindi, for success in the
mainstream economy and society. English is at present the main
international language. In this globalized world, proficiency in English
is also very important.
There is no reason for any language controversy in Goa. If differences do
arise the protagonists of marathi and konkani in devanagari and roman
scripts should together find a solution. They should approach the
Government whenever necessary. Institutions such as the Central Institute
of Indian Languages are also available for advice. The present Government is
responsive and sympathetic to any proposal that strengthens our unity and
enhances our linguistic and cultural solidarity.
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