Three years ago the movement for the recognition of Roman script began in ight
earnest from Independence Day 15th August, 2005 with Goans within and outside
request to send emails to the then Chief Minister of Goa Mr Pratapsing Raoji
Rane impressing upon him the need to amend the Official Language Act 1987 sec
2(c) to redefine Konkani language to mean Konkani in devanagari"/Roman
script"
Later that year during the monsoon session of the Goa Legislative Assembly the
then Pernem MLA Mr Jiteendra Deshprabhu the scion of the prominent Deshprabhu
family took up the cause of ensuring (that short of an amendment to the
Official Language Act, 1987 ) Konkani language would be given due support.
It was for the third time after OLA 1987 that the demand for Konkani in Roman
script found mention on the floor of the Goa Legislative Assembly .
The earlier one was an amendment moved by the then MLA Mr Radharao Gracias
(Adv), which was defeated another by Dr Wilfred Anthony De Souza a private
members resolution which ensured financial assistance "not grants".
By and large the protoganists of Konkani in Devanagari script essentially the
miniscule 3% of Hindu Brahmins, (who are today calling the shots in both the
political arena and the executive arm of the Government ) have since the last
69 years commencing with the first Konkani Parishad held in 1939 in Karwar in
the South Indian neighbouring state of Karnataka (while Goa Daman and Diu was
still under the erstwhile Portuguese rule 25/11/1510- 19/12/1961) been
espousing the cause of "ONE LANGUAGE ONE SCRIPT" to the detriment of all other
scripts be it in Kannada , Malayalam Perso-Arabic etc. Their mentor late Madan
Manjunath Shanbag. on the same lines a majority Advisory Committee of the
Sahitya Akademy passed an "unanimous" resolution on 21/11/1981 ensuring that
devanagari alone will be the natural script for Konkani.
Unfortunately for them their ambitions were defeated as it was the Government
of Karnataka which granted recognition for Konkani in Kannada script in school
education, last year. Thus negating their demand of "ONE LANGUAGE ONE SCRIPT
but instead supporting the principle "ONE LANGUAGE DIVERSITY IN SCRIPTS.
In Goa the movement for recognition of Konkani in Roman script or call it
English script (since the words Rome and Roman cause are allergy to some
Indians due to the present political dispensation UPA at the Centre and the
Chairperson of the INC ) by way of an amendment to OLA 1987 has suffered in Goa
merely because
a) the Church maintains a stoic silence on this issue despite the fact that it
is the English (Roman) script used in all its religious services;
b) the politicians in the four talukas of Velhas Conquistas - 1510 to 1961
Salcete, Mormugao, Bardez and Tiswadi (Ilhas ) keep the issue alive only for
its emotive appeal, to woo the electorate and consolidate their vote bank and
many a Konkani playwright and Konkani literatteur has succumbed to their ploy;
c) the 13 Catholic MLA's Mr Francisco D Souza (Adv) BJP, Agnelo Fernandes,
Atanasio Monseratte, Victoria Fernandes Francis Silveira, Jose Philip D Sousa,
Francisco (Micky) Pacheco, Alexio Reginald Lourence, Churchill Alemao, Filipe
Neri Rodrigues, Joaquim Alemao will never muster the courage of conviction to
live up to the ground reality either because (i)most of their voters can afford
English education for their wards and ii) an apparent fear that the Hindu
Brahmins will "alienate" them
in the socio-politico arena -- though the reality is otherwise viz; that the
non Hindu Brahmin community viz the "Bahujan Samaj" fully understand and
realises the gross injustice inflicted upon the Catholic community by the 3%
Hindu Brahmins after the Official Language Act 1987 was passed on 4th February,
1987 and still wonder why the largest minority community in the State the
Catholics have been playing second fiddle to the Hindu Brahmins when during the
Portuguese regime they call the shots and are seen as more receptive to
sincerity fair play and justice in all spheres of life unlike most of the Hindu
Brahmins who are historically known for their cunningness and slyness ( even
since the times of St Francis Xavier in a letter in 1543 )
But despite this it must be said to the credit of the common man the real
protoganists of Konkani in Roman script the Konkani playwrights and the Goans
abroad especially those in the Gulf countries, the sea-farers that they have
kept the tempo moving for the ultimate recognition of Konkani in English
(Roman) script even after nearly 21 years of OLA 1987
The present coalition Government has accepted that scripts should not be an
impediment for the development of Konkani language and thus has proposed in
Budget 2008-2009 "financial assistance" of Rs. 15 lacs for the development of
Konkani in the English (Roman) script -by the Dalgado Konkani Academy - while
continuing its "grants" for the Goa Konkani Academy (devanagari) and the
Gomantak Marathi Academy.
At the Adhoc committee meetings of the Goa Legislative Assembly thrown open to
the members of the public a first of its kind in the country --- the TSKK, the
Romi Lipi Action Front, and the undersigned highlighted the need for nothing
short of an amendment to the OLA 1987 so that Konkani in English (Roman) script
will get "grants" and official status on par with Konkani in "devanagari"script
and not mere "financial assistance" ----this by making a small amendment by
merely deleting in 2(c) Konkani "means in Devanagari script".
With the view that the OLA 1987 should remain intact and would not hurt the
sentiments of our Goan bretheren who use Marathi for religious purposes and in
their literary works while they speak Konkani deletion was seen as appropriate
and would be welcome by all MLA's of Velhas and Novas Conquistas except the
Hindu Brahmins among them.
Unfortunately it is here again that the 13 Catholic MLA's have only maintained
lip sympathy.
It is now that the Leader of the Opposition Mr Manohar G Parrikar BJP who also
was the Chairman of the Adhoc committee on Department of offical language moved
a private members resolution which will come up for discussions on the last
date of the present monsoon/budget session ending 29/08/2008, and will in all
probability be accepted by the ruling dispensation .
quote " This House strongly recommends to the Government to set up a Task Force
consisting of all sections of society and political parties to study various
demands of the Marathi Rajya Bhasha Prasthapan Samiti and Romi Lipi Action
Front so as to suggest a solution to the language issue which has been dividing
the State along regional and social lines, with a view to unifying the State”
.... unquote
The fact of the matter is that the report of the setting up of the TASK Force
which will obviously be accepted by the ruling dispensation is only delaying
the process of official recognition to Konkani in the English (Roman) script;
Had the ruling coalition INC-NCP-MGP-Independent-unattached MLA's accepted
the amendment proposed by others besides this writer of a mere deletion of word
"devanagiri" from OLA 1987 there was no need of any TASK force and the matter
could have easily been settled.
It would therefore be of importance for the voters in constitutencies
represented by the Catholic MLA's to forewarn their elected representatives
that dragging the issue due to their "political impotency" is detrimental to
the 29.6% Catholic community who are slowly but surely becoming strangers in
their own land.
First - it was the cultural policy of the State billed to be the first of its
kind in the country -- which projects discreetly only the pre (1510)Portuguese
era cultural ethos of the State thus systametically jettisoning the east west
cultural fusion and symbiosis nurtured during the 451 years of erstwhile
Portuguese rule.
Though ironically this east-west cultural influence is given financial "
assistance " solely to promote "tourism" and ensure "full bed capacity
utilisation " of Hotels in the State.
Second - Inmigration of dwellers from the Novas Conquistas (not Goans but
mainly settlers from nearby Maharashtra and Karnataka ) into the Velhas
Conquistas for economic reasons thereby severely diluting the strenght of the
minorities in the Velhas Conquistas. There is also rise in religious
fundamentalism, with the numerous "ghumties" mostly near the banyan trees
(which depicted village boundaries) or on roadsides or temples sprouting up in
Catholic dominated constituencies. Litigation due to encroachements leave
licence violation etc has mounted affecting the landed gentry mainly Catholics;
Third it is the indiscriminate deletion of names of mainly Catholic community
from the voters list viz those that have migrated only for employment purposes
and shortly those that have acquired Portuguese passports will be on the anvil.
Fourth employment prospects for the Catholic community in the Velhas Conquistas
where they are in the majority has been totally wiped as is seen from the list
of Goa Government Junior and Senior grade officers and in clerical cadres of
LDC UDC and notably the Goa Police force.
Fifth though the Velhas Conquistas have 22 Assembly constituencies in the Goa
Legislative Assembly there are just 13 Catholic MLA;s (almost all at logger
heads with one anotherand in different secular political parties with one
exception) while the votebank is essentially Catholic and vote invariably for
secular parties on the avowed principle that development without communal
harmony is not worthwhile.
Sixth the Archdiocese of Goa & Daman who played into the hands of the Hindu
Brahmins by succumbing to the medium of instruction policy in the early
nineties and are now regretting in private their foolishness -- due to dismal
performance and poor quality of Catholic students emerging from the primary
section of the nearly 125 diocesan run schools are responsible for putting the
Catholic community in disarray by paying heed to unsolicited advice from a
seemingly sincere secular Uday L Bhembre (Adv) and ex Independent MLA of
Margao; who singlehandely took the Konkani Porjecho Avaz in 1985 - financed
heavily by our Gulf bretheren - for a ride by demanding travel expenses for his
assistance during the KPA, the accounts rceipt/expenses have till this date not
been made public.
Such gross injustice being systametically inflicted upon the Catholic community
by the 3% Hindu Brahmin community who have the largest representation in
electoral politics, in the administration (entire families are either in
Government employment or high wage island public sector or private sector
organisations -- on merit by caste not one's worth) easily amounts to a gross
violation of the rights of the minorities enshrined in the sacred Constitution
of India.
Therefore if Konkani in English(Roman) Roman script is given official
recognition in OLA 1987
a) it will then enable us to demand for "grants" not "financial" assistance
b) it will enable us to set up Konkani schools imparting education in Konkani
with the English (Roman) script and get "grants" for the same, the children in
far flung villages and those who cannot afford fees for English medium
education will benefit.
c) it will provide employment prospects for Konkani teachers
d) the Goa Konkani Academy can then send Konkani playwrights to perform their
tiatrs, just like the Konkani "Natak" troupes, Sangeet Sammelans "filmi geet"
and Bollywood trivia is promoted in the name of Goan culture and sent to
countries abroad or within India with grants received from the Government. The
religious rituals and the choral / hymn groups can get financial grants for
organising and promoting such latent skills among the Catholic community and
even get grants for musical instruments from the Department of Art and Culture
just as the bhajan troupes get such assistance. Even the Konkani songs and
Hymns can be introduced in schools just as Bhajans etc are taught today in
schools
e) grants pensions etc can be received for the promotion of the musical skills
tiatr cantaram our cultural dance forms even post retirement etc on par with
those artistes performing "paddam" and "nataks"
j) thus with official recognition to Konkani in English (Roman) script these
benefits will be given as a legitimate due to a significant segment nd
economically influential Catholic community of the State.
k) the Department of Art & Culture the Department of Official languages the
Kala Academy the Goa Konkani Academy that can recruit persons knowing Konkani
in English (Roman script) as presently it is only the Hindu Brahmins and
others who know devanagari script or Marthi that are employed
l) the Goa State Public Service Commission can ensure that all advertisements
insist of the essential qualification of Konkani also in English (Roman)
script instead of just devanagari.
m) while the essential pre-requisite of e-governance is knowledge of English
script which the Hindu Brahmins embarrassingly use due to difficulties
encountered in the use of Konkani devanagari script this will be no longer a
problem for them if they accept the Konkani in English (Roman) script.
n) the Catholic community is the highest contributor of foreign exchange as is
seen from the over-banked talukas of Velhas Conquistas which are flush with
deposits. Ironically the Catholic community does not have any significant
representation in these scheduled (nationalised) Banks or co-operative Banks by
way of employment prospects instead it is the 3% Hindu Brahmins that have
cornered all these posts.
It is necessary that this report be given wide circulation to muster support
for the cause of official recognition to Konkani in the English (Roman) script.
If the people of Karnataka have taken the lead and got official recognition for
Konkani in Kannada script and even scripted their name in the Guinness World
Book of records; it is only the ignorance of Catholic Goans and those
supporting Konkani in English (Roman) script that needs to be blamed.
GODFREY J. I. GONSALVES,
BORDA, MARGAO, 403 602, GOA. (INDIA)
+91 98221 58584 (24 HRS)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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