Pratap Naik's Konknni and Romi Lipi provides
interesting insight into the new Roman Script Movement
that the Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendra (TSKK) has
been spearheading. I hadn't read it before I sent a
few posts on the subject of Konknni and Roman script
to this forum. I had made a mention of Prof. Antonio
Fernandes, but I must admit that I forgot his first
name, Joaquim.
The article mentions the author of Konknni Nad Xastr
and credits him for stressing the need to write
Konknni in Roman script within grammatical rules. Naik
points out that the Fernandes's orthography lacked the
method to show certain Konknni phonetics as well
deficient in some ways (I admit I don't what the exact
English word for "unneponn"). Trends in linguistics
change, and language is an evoling medium.
It seems the new Konknni Roman script released by the
TSKK redresses the defenciency in Fernandes's
grammatical rules and description by adding ~ and ^
symbols to emphasize stress on nasal sounds and
certain vowels. If these two additions don't seem to
mean much to Konknni syntax, except that they are
phonetically important to capture the peculiar Konknni
words.
That Konknni is spoken differently, as much as English
is spoken differently in different parts of the world,
makes one wonder which of the Konknni word, say, in
Bardez or Salcette Konknni, would be the
right-sounding word. This debate is best for
sociolinguists, and I am not sure who are these people
in the Konknni-speaking world.
If I can go back, I think Prof. Rocky Miranda was
doing some research on the Konknni language. I would
be glad to know from anyone on this forum or from
elsewhere what was Miranda's area of research and if
anything resulted from his research.
Since TSKK has taken up the challenge to get
government approval for Roman script Konkani, I am bit
surprised as to know where protaonists of this new
movement were all these years since Devanagir Konknni
was accepted as an official language. It has been
remarked on this forum that the sudden change of
TSKK's direction vis-a-vis Konknni script has taken
some of us by surprise. I am not aware if there were
efforts to get the Roman script during the time when
the reins of the government were in the hands of
Christian chief ministers, since it's largely the
Christians who are demanding this script. Goa also had
the outgoing president of the Dalgado Konknni Academy,
Tomazinho Cardozo, as speaker.
Now that the leaders of the RSM are seeking to get an
amendment to the Act and are pleading with MLAs, what
made them sit tight all these years? I may not be far
off the mark when I say that the TSKK itself took a
back seat in pushing forward the Roman script. Did the
TSKK came upon their own "road to Damascus?"
I remember going to the TSKK, when it was located at
Mira Mar, and asking for a Konknni grammar in Roman
script but was told that it didn't have any, and if I
could have the Devanagiri one. Though I know how to
read Devanagiri, having studied both Hindi and Marathi
at school, I was not keen on gettting it. Since I had
grown up reading "Udentichem Neketr" and later Goa
Times, Goa Mail, Ave Maria, Cine Times, and Goan
Sports Weekly, I was, and still am, familiar with
Roman script Konknni. I was amazed at the difference
in the Konknni that each paper wrote. It frayed my
mind to read the different "versions". Even now, the
Konknni of V. Ixtt, and of Gulab, and The Goan Review
different to some extent.
I find the Konknni of V. Ixtt to be "Sanskritized". I
am, therefore, taken back when Naik says that the
liturgical books of the Goan Archiocese are filled
with Sanskrit words, and that the texts don't seem to
be uniquely Konknni. I see a clear division among the
clergy here.
In his opening para, Naik poses a rather uncanny or,
perhaps, a rhetorical question that those who can't
talk their own mother-tongue may seem to offend God.
While he in concluding para, he states categorically
that God won't come down to map out Konknni's future
and that we shouldn't wait for Him. Why God comes into
this picture is beyond me. I, for one, wouldn't take
God's name in vain, even if one wishes to be emphatic
in making one's point.
At least in Goa, Christians or to be more pointed,
Catholics, begin their new ventures or any significant
project with an invocation to the Lord Almighty. I
believe those in the forefront of the RSM need God as
much as they needed him during the Konknn agitation.
He says that if those Konknni lovers had fought for
equal status for Roman script Konknni in the Official
Language Act, the Konknni language scenario in Goa
would be different. I am not sure if the TSKK was
established at this time. But definitely some of the
players in the new movement were present, and probably
active. As Naik says, the Konknni Projecho Avaz fooled
the Christians involved in that organization. Now
perhaps is the time to turn the tables on these
cheaters, however late in the day it may seem.
Naik himself admits that nothing is achieved without
protest in India, and the Konknni agitation is a good
example among many others found in the rest of the
country. India was divided into states on linguistic
lines. I am, however, positive that if Konknni Roman
script shares the official language status with
Devanagiri script it won't make much of a difference
to the body politic of the state. Some of those
Devanagiri side have expressed their support, and this
should hold good in the fight for equal status.
Naik has a long laundry list of "ifs" and "buts" as
well as other suggestions why Roman script Konknni
should get what it deserves. He also paints a doomsday
scenario if the struggle for Roman script Konknni
fails.
A cuple of months before Fr. Freddy D'Costa died, I
had a lunch meeting with him at his Parish during my
visit to Goa. In the short time we had together, he
admitted that Gulab wasn't doing well circulation-wise
and that the few advertisements were able to support
the magazine.
Low circulation and probably lack of ads were perhaps
reasons among others that killed Uzvadd. Even the New
Uzvadd failed to shine. Similarly other Konknni papers
could not fly. I am, therefore, bit suprised at Naik's
suggestion for Roman Konknni papers, though he gives
names of the existing papers and magazines as examples
of survival. In my village I could find many houses,
including mine, buying Konknni magazines and V. Ixtt,
except for one neighbour. He was good enough to give
me old copies of Gulab which he had saved, and I could
read them during my holidays. I think a serious study
on the feasibility of Roman script Konknni magazines
and newspapers need to be undertaken.
Naik wants the Archdiocese to start Konknnni journals
targetting the young. It looks nice on paper, but I
wish to hear from those in the field of journalism how
realistic is the idea. May I ask if the
English-language youth magazine Call, from Pilar
Society, still coming out?
We need to harness the power of the language among the
young. There may not be financial rewards, and if the
Archdiocese or any government, semi-government or
independent organizations can bear the financial
burden it would be a big step forward.
I understand and appreciate Fr. Naik and all those who
are the in the forefront of this new struggle. I want
to tackle other points, but I think I have written
enough, at least for now. I have expressed my opinion
in an effort to widen up the debate, at least
theoretically.
Eugene Correia
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