Dear friends, In Part I, I have shown how complacent tolerance towards a wrong date, like that of the establishment of Dalgado Konknni Akademi (DKA), can cause havoc to historical facts. And I have also shown how the same has actually done considerable damage to the reputation of one of Goa's finest sons, the late Professor Olivinho Gomes. Now, let me turn to the second part of the question: Why was the Akademi established?
According to Tomazinho Cardozo, the Akademi was established "in order to fight against the injustice meted out to Konkani in Roman script." But the following facts militate against accepting this as the truth: 1. Amongst its first members were persons like Fr. Moreno de Souza sj and Felicio Cardoso who, till their very end, never believed that the Official Language Act (OLA) had done any injustice to Konkani in Roman script; in fact they vehemently opposed this insinuation. Had this been even one of the aims of the Akademi, they would never have associated themselves with it. 2. From the history provided by the originator of the very idea of forming the Akademi as well as its first enrolled member, Fr. Pratap Naik, it is evident that the first moves towards the formation of the Akademi began almost immediately after the passage of the OLA. How could anyone sense any injustice arising from the Act in such a short while? 3. Any organization founded to fight against an injustice would take up programmes to sensitize the persons / authorities concerned towards the injustice, and work on measures for getting the same redressed. No delegations were taken to any of the authorities, no petitions / memoranda were presented, no public meetings / rallies were held, no articles highlighting the grievances were published, whether in Konkani or in English. In short, no measures were even initiated to make the authorities, and the public at large, aware of the supposed injustice. All that the Akademi did was to publish a set of Orthographic Rules for writing Konkani in Roman script. And this, by no means, can be construed to signify a method of fighting against an enemy; at best it means an attempt to put one's own house in order, something that was woefully required. In addition it published a literary Annual, and held an exhibition of books and periodicals, activities which could not, even remotely, be connected to a struggle. 4. The Editorial - "Dalgado Konknni Akademi" - in the Annual (Goencho Pormoll 1989) sets out the objectives of the Akademi in the following words: "Survatek sahitik zannkaranchi ek Samiti ghoddun - zantun sogle sompadpi asat - hi Konknni ekrupan borovpache nem' ani utramvoll toiar kelea ani tanchem ek pustok xapun uzvaddailam. Jea vorvim he Konknnintle sogle borovpi aplim potram ani pustokam heam nemam pormonne boroun Romi Konknni ekrupi zaunk pavteli. He Akademik anikui zaito vavr korpacho asa, to mhonnche ek borem ofis; ek bori pustokxall (library); tharailelea nema pormonne borounk xikovpak vorg (classes), borim pustokam xapun uzvaddavop, boream pustokank puroskar divop, tiatristank ekttaim haddun, tanche borpavoll ekrupi zaunk ani kola sudharunk sohokar divop; veg-veglle kox uzvaddavop; sahitik porisonvak (symposium); prodorxonnam ani mellave ghoddun haddop, ganvam-ganvamni sahitik ani sonskrutik kariavolli korop; adi, adi." Under the title "Dhin'vas" (Acknowlwdgments) in the same issue, Prabhakar Tendulkar writes, "Dalgado Konknni Akademicho ud'dex asa Romi Konknnint jem kitem boroitat ani porgott'tat, tem borea dorjeachem ani ek rupi sahitya zanvchem. Hea pasot Akademin zannkaranchi ek samiti ghoddun, Romi Konknni ekrupi borovpa pasot, utranche ani borovpache nem' toiar keleat. ani tanchem ek pustok xapun uzvaddailam. Borovpeamni, ani odik korun noveam borovpeamni, hea nemam pormonne Romi Konknni boroilear ani xaplear, amchi Romi Konknni ekrupi zavpak vell lagchona. Romi Konknnintle borovpi aiz ekach rupan vo nemam pormonne boroi naslelean, eka potrachea vo nemalleachea sompadpeak khubuch thokos gheuncho poddtta ani tim soglim ekrupi boroun kaddchim poddttat. Ho vavr unno zavpak zai, ani amchea borovpeamni Romi Konknni koxi ekrupi ani nemam pormonnem borounchi tem xikpak zai." There is no mention, or even an inkling, of any fight or struggle. The Editorial and Acknowledgements can be read in full here: http://tinyurl.com/2wm2jk3 5. After the publication of the Orthographic Rules and of the Annual, and the holding of the exhibition, the Akademi does not appear to have done anything tangible on any front. Instead, it went into hibernation for as long as 15 years! By 2004, it was as good as defunct. In other words, the "fighters" dispersed without firing a single shot. This behaviour does not befit an organization which was ostensibly formed to fight for a cause. Perhaps its objective was realized, at least temporarily, and some time was required for its consolidation before the next stage was launched. So the members rested on their oars. 6. The Akademi was REVIVED in May 2004. Owing to a tragic event, the Committee was reconstituted in June 2004. As late as Nov. 2004, the President of the revived DKA (Tomazinho Cardozo himself!) set down, among other things, the aims and objectives of the Akademi. The full write-up can be viewed here: http://lists.goanet.org/htdig.cgi/goanet-goanet.org/2004-November/107341.html or at: http://tinyurl.com/38lmvlq From this, we gather that the Akademi published in 2008 the 'Konkani Orthography in Roman Script' with the intention of bringing about a desirable unity among the writers, so that the writers could understand the principles and rules of writing Konkani in Roman script. We are also informed that, before it went into hibernation, a number of programmes were conducted in various parts of Goa to popularize Roman script and Konkani written in it. The various aims and objectives that the new Executive Board (2004) had set for itself include (a) to strengthen Konkani in Roman script, (b) to promote Konkani language in Roman script, (c) to preserve, foster and develop Konkani written in Roman script because Goan Christians read it, (d) to make all efforts to provide support, financial and otherwise, for writers of Konkani in Roman script, (e) to initiate various activities in literary, cultural and social field through all the modern means of social communication, (f) to provide financial assistance, and scholarships to writers, dramatists, talented important people, scholars and students to carry out research and other undertakings in the field of Konkani, (g) to hold and organize seminars, conferences, workshops, exhibitions, lectures, competitions of different types, (h) to undertake and edit Konkani folk songs, music, folk literature, stage performances and other expressions of Konkani culture, (i) to provide Library and documentation centre facilities to the students, writers, teachers, producers and actors/actresses of Konkani, (j) to collect and preserve Konkani documents, records, books and objects scattered with individuals and families which are related to the cultural and literary development of Konkani, (k) to focus on promoting, assisting, and undertaking publications of children's literature in Konkani along with providing books or magazines in Konkani language to the libraries and institutions, (l) to make untiring efforts to preserve our identity through Konkani language irrespective of the scripts in which it is written. Going through the above aims and objectives, nowhere do we find any trace of "fighting" for anything. Even the "Action plan for 2004-2005" does not list a single activity which could be even remotely associated with "fighting." The article, in fact, ends with: "Our aims and objectives in reviving Dalgado Konknni Akademi are very clear. It is our duty to support writers of Konkani in Roman script and to provide qualitative literature to thousands of readers of Konkani in Roman script. It is also our paramount responsibility to see that our Christian community loves their mother tongue Konkani and is proud of its Goan identity." In short, the motive of fighting against "the injustice meted out to Konkani in Roman script" was never on the agenda of DKA even as late as the end of the year 2004, i.e. for over 16 years after its establishment. Obviously, this agenda was brought on board post-2004. Considering all the foregoing, does any reader believe that the DKA was established in 1988 in order to fight the injustice meted out to Konkani written in Roman script? If yes, I would be eager, and obliged, to learn the reasons thereof. (to be concluded) Sotachench zoit zatolem. Mog asum. Sebastian Borges
