As the count down begins for the rally at Azad maidan Panaji to save Goa and our mothertongue 19 years after the official language Act relegated Cristaos to second class citizens -- this is a wake up call -- its now or never-- there will be canards myths floated -- about heads being broken about marathiwadis staging a backlash. All this is hogwash --- make your presence felt and ensure the unity of Goans Hindus Catholics Muslims all.
We count on your presence . At the time of writing there are encouraging signs our politicians have realised the importance of this public outcry and most of them have heeded to our call and they promise to render justice. Be there --- in large numbers Here is the official press release for the ocassion. Godfrey J I Gonsalves Borda Margao Goa [EMAIL PROTECTED] 9822158584 DALGADO KONKNNI AKADEMI (DKA) c/o Rhythm House,Below City Hospital,Opp MeenakshiHotel Margão, Goa - 403 601 Phone: +91 0832 2714299 PRESS RELEASE DKA CALL TO ATTEND KONKNNI SYMBOLIC RALLY at AZAD MAIDAN, PANAJI Dalgado Konknni Akademi (DKA), Goa, earnestly requests all Konknnis spread throughout the world and those who love and care about the survival of Konknni in Roman script, to attend its rally at Azad Maidan, Panaji on Friday, 10 February 2006 at 3.00 p.m. to show their active support to Konknni in Roman script. DKA also requests Konknni lovers to boycott and openly show their protest during the forthcoming Konknni Conference organized by All India Konknni Parishad (AIKP) at Kala Akademi, Panaji from February 10 to 12, 2006. DKA has organised this symbolic rally for the following reasons: The purpose of the Official Language Act 1987 is to protect the interests of people of Goa in the field of economy, education, culture, etc. The Official Language Act 1987 recognises Konknni written in Devanagari script only. This is a great injustice to the Goan community which reads and writes Konknni in the Roman script. Due to this Official Language Act writers, readers, publishers, artists, lovers and promoters of Konknni in Roman script are treated as second class citizens in Goa and they continue to suffer this humiliation. Therefore DKA demands from the Goa Govt. equal status to Konknni written in Roman script on par with Konknni written in Devanagari script in the Official Language Act 1987. DKA recognises and respects diversity of scripts, dialects of Konknni and cultural expressions of Konknni people. Konknni in Roman script is one of the best and effective means to unite all Konknni speakers spread throughout the world. By imposing Devanagari script and a particular dialect as the standard Konknni have resulted in driving away the minority community from the Konknni language. DKA regrets to state that the imposition of Devanagari script for Konknni has divided the Goan community. All India Konknni Parishad (AIKP) instead of respecting the varieties of Konknni and thereby forging unity among the various regions, communities, dialects and scripts viz, Roman and Kannada along with Devanagari has caused irreparable damage to the unity of Konknnis, by adopting a retrograde policy of "ek lipi, ek bhas, ek sahitya, ek samaz" (one script, one dialect/language, one literature, one community). Hence DKA wants to end the injustice meted out to all the scripts of Konknni except Devanagari. Through its above mentioned policy, the All India Konknni Parishad is sowing the seed of communal division, hatred and disharmony in Goa and among Konknnis spread throughout the country. Through manipulative politics AIKP has attempted to impose one script (Devanagari script) and one dialect on all others (a) at the Sahitya Akademi level (b) at the Goa Government level (c) at the other State Governments level. In the name of development of Konknni, AIKP promotes exclusively Devanagari script to perpetuate its monopoly and hegemony. AIKP does not accept the basic demand of a large section of the Goan Community. The demand is to include Roman script as the official script of Konknni side by side with Devanagari script in the Goa Official Language Act 1987. Similarly AIKP does not respect and accept the demand of Konknnis to teach Konknni in schools in Kannada script in Karnataka. AIKP is NOT registered under the Societies' Registration Act 1860. AIKP has remained an 'Exclusive Club' of a fistful of persons and organizations to get funds from Govt. and the public to organize unproductive conferences. No genuine attempt has been made either to include active registered bodies into the AIKP or promote Konknni language and literature. Since All India Konknni Parishad is NOT a Registered Society, it has no legal status and right to ask for, or to receive Govt. grants, subsidy and funds. On 23 January 1978 an institution called All India Konknni Sahitya Parishad was registered as a Society in Goa. Its Registration number was 6/78. However, this Society never renewed its registration from 11.06.2000. Hence All India Konknni Sahitya Parishad ceaseS to exist. A coterie of writers who control AIKP also control and manipulate practically all the matters related to Konknni at the Goa Govt. and Central Govt. departments and institutions. The time has come for Konknnis to voice their opinion against this oppressive institution AIKP. Unity among people can never be achieved by imposition of one script and one dialect over the others. 'Unity in Diversity' meaning unity by accepting the three major scripts (Roman, Devanagari and Kannada) and the various dialects, is the only formula which can bring Konknnis together, and assure the very survival of Konknni. SAVE KONKNNI, SAVE GOA! sd/- Wilson Mazarelo President Dalgado Konknni Akademi __________________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your partner now. Go to http://yahoo.shaadi.com