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* G * O * A * N * E * T **** C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S *
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Sangath, www.sangath.com, is one of Goa's leading NGOs.
Sangath is looking to build a centre for services, training and research
and is looking to buy land of approx 1500 to 2000 sq mtrs
betweeen Mapusa and Bambolim and surrounding rural areas
If you have land to sell, please contact:
[email protected] or [email protected] or phone +91-9881499458
http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2009-July/180028.html
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"Konkani Speaking People of Mumbai need to unite"
MUMBAI: Goan Review Art Foundation (GRAF) in association with Konkani
Association-Mumbai (KAM) organized a Konkani Seminar "Mumbointlea
Konknneacho Ekvott Koso Zoddop?" & "Mumbointle Goenkarance Kudd ani Sonstha
Koxeo Samballop?" on July 19, 2009 at St. Sebastian Goan High School, Hall,
Dabul at 4.00 p.m. 67 people attended the seminar.
Mr. Fausto V. da Costa, President of GRAF commenced the seminar by
impressing upon the audience the need to get all the Konkani speaking
together and the need to protect the Konkani Associations and Clubs (Kudd)
in Mumbai. .
General Secretary of Konkani Bhasha Mandal, Maharashtra and a Konkani writer
and activist Lawrence D'Souza, Kamani, the main speaker of the session
said: There are about 50 lakh Konkani speaking people in India and about 12
lakhs in Mumbai alone. In early days of 1900, the people were mostly staying
from Colaba to Sion in the East and up to Mahim in the West. Therefore it
was not difficult to get the people together to attend functions and
tiatrs, nataks etc. Life was good and people got time to meet.
But now the people have spread to Dombivli and Mira Road. The life style has
changed. Traveling has become tedious particularly after a days hard work
and people look forward to relax after reaching home. The TV has further
made it attractive to stay at home and watch the programmes at leisure."
He then elaborated that the Konkani language being spoken in different
states is written in their own script. As of now Konkani is written in
Roman, Devnagiri, Kannada, Malayalam and Urdu (Persian/Arabic). Moreover he
said that each area had adopted a number of words of the local language into
Konkani like Portuguese in Goa, Tulu in Mangalore, Malayam in Kerala,
Marathi in Maharashtra etc. As a result a dialect of one area is not
understood fully by all. He said this is a very big stumbling block to get
all the Konkani speaking people together .
"In modern times we must particularly pay attention to the youth. Now a days
the youth is computer savvy. We must use the computer and the internet to
propagate the language. One simple method is to post difficult words one by
one giving details like meaning, pronunciations etc. We have a platform in
Konkani Basha Mandal , Maharashtra to promote Konkani. This has been in
existence for the last 66 years and has had a chequered existence. He
pointed out that as of now there are many Konkani associations and named a
few. However there is no unity among the Konkani speaking people," he
lamented.
He further reminded the audience that there is big treasure works done in
Konkani by our ancestors. We must take advantage of this and go forward
irrespective of which state we belong to.
In conclusion Mr. Fausto mooted the idea of forming a federation of all
Konkani associations in Mumbai. The activities of the associations could
then be controlled. He further explained that the Konkani Bhasha Mandal,
Maharashtra being the oldest Konkani institution in Mumbai having Goans,
Mangaloreans Sawantwadis, Karwaris, Saraswats as its members could act as
the mother association to all the Konkani associations in Mumbai.
The second part was the registration of Goan Clubs. The discussion
proceeded with Mr Fausto recollecting the discussions held during the last
seminar held on 29 March 2009. One club reported that they had a problem
where the manager was not co-operating with the members by not getting the
original documents from an illegal occupant who was forced to leave the
premises. Members of that club were advised to call for a general body
meeting of the club and get a new manager elected and also to file a police
case that the documents of the club have been illegally taken away.
Another club had a problem of guest members trying to take over the club and
sell it. However one senior member managed to get support from the village
in Goa including a letter from the Sarpanch , he got the members from Goa
and had an election and formed a new committee. He has also recruited new
members from the village. He was advised to register the club immediately.
Mr. Fausto clarified that GRAF will help in all possible ways in
facilitating the members to register their clubs. However it is important
that the clubs come forward with their problems.
Gable D'Souza Secretary of Konkani Association, Mumbai compered the sessions
and proposed the vote of thanks. He reminded the audience of the World
Konkani Day celebration to be held on 30th. August 2009 at 7.00 p.m. at Anza
Hall, Byculla, Mumbai organized by Konkani Association-Mumbai in
collaboration with GRAF.
