Third View- Arre tumcher solgem padh podom. Zai thohem boroiath. BC ------------------------------
Two views ... ----------------------------- From: Surendra This argument of Roman script for Konkani makes as much sense as Hindus arguing that English or Portuguese have Devnagri script. The script goes with the origination of that language and the users should adopt it. Konkani origin is from Sanskritak language group and rightly has Devnagari script. Catholics adopting Konkani should learn Devnagari script just as Hindus use Romanic script that go with western languages. Now if hate or violence was used by certain people to promote their argument then it has to be rightly condemned. And Catholics are free to make their argument and have a right to use the Roman script if they want. But their convenience does not make it right. Have a great Sunday or should I say ayatar. How ridiculous that would be. ------------------------------ From: Filomena I think that this issue, like religion, is made into a doctrinaire and regressive - not progressive- step in human evolution. Time is relative and who did what first is the most regressive idea. Plus it goes against the fundamental concept in Indian thought that we should not base our decisions on attachment to anything, let alone our preconceptions and brainwashing. Writing came before typing and voice activation of computers to transmit our thought. So should we - and DO WE? - have our government schools teach the next generation only writing? I also have no idea why we Goans think that we have to absorb everything introduced by the British and condemn everything introduced by the Portuguese, when in fact, the British were far more brutal and thorough in their colonial and financial exploitation of India and suppressed some Indian ancient systems like Ayurveda, temple dancing, and even many concepts of Hinduism. Anyway, coming back to my own thesis that excluding the Roman script by government schools and agencies is regressive: This excludes the younger generation, especially in the diaspora, from learning the beautiful language and literature in Konkani, because they are not conversant with devanagiri script. So we are sacrificing the access to Konkani by many more people and also by western readers and scholars to satisfy some doctrinaire notion that devanagiri script came first and the Roman script was introduced later and by Portuguese colonial intrusion and should be excluded? Plus we are propagating the undemocratic and fascist mindset that the Catholic Goan taxpayers who hardly know the devanagiri script have to pay for a medium of instruction that leaves them out, causing them to neglect their own native tongue. Meanwhile, instead of arguing about writing Konkani in any script, how about getting even one Konkani TV station in Goa? Anyone going to Goa can see that the next generation of Goans is bombarded by Hindi and even other Indian language TV programs and hardly hear or see anything in Konkani. If anyone wants to do something to save Konkani, he or she should start with getting over the devanagiri sacred cow and solve this practical issue first. End of Goanet Digest, Vol 10, Issue 578 ***************************************
