-------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Add your name to the CLEAN GOA INITIATIVE | | | | by visiting this link and following the instructions therein | | | | http://shire.symonds.net/pipermail/goanet/2005-October/033926.html | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dears,
Nice to know that **UB ** does not necessarily refer to the Company of the "King of Good Times"...it is also the abbreviation used by Prof.S.M. Borges for Adv. Uday Bhembre, who reads 'good times' for Konkani only in Devanagri though he is a prolific writer of English in the Roman Script ;-)) Incidentally, in his native Kanara [Canarese?] district Vijay [and even Parajay] Mallyas clan is known as "Konknni" [ as against Tulu speaking Kannads.] "Two lies do not make one truth." said Mahatma Gandhi. The "local script" for Konkani was "Goykannadi" not 'Devanagri' as Prof. S.M.Borges would seem to imply. I have checked this out with a historian. If Prof. S.M.Borges has evidence to the contrary, let him adduce it. It is news to me that the year "1922" is/was in the "SEVENTEENTH CENTURY" . Is Prof. S.M. Borges using "Anno Domini" or is that a Jesuit Goebellism also? Even in the Saka calendar, 1922 is not in the 17th century!! Is it in the Devanagri Konkani calendar?? Speaking of the Jesuit instigated Romi Konkani publications, Prof. S.M. borges writes,"the last one having come out the press in 1660". [A.D.,I hope ]. He also writes, THE FIRST PRINTED KONKANI TEXT IN DEVANAGARI, > written by natives, DATES TO 1678. It is a testimonial attached to Henrich van Rheede's monumental work "Hortus Indicus Malabaricus" and written by three Konkani vaidyas." [ 'Vaidyas' apparently refers to 'Hindu Brahmin medicinal therapists', unless I am sadly mistaken.] "Hortus Indicus Malabaricus" obviously refers to the "Trees/Plants of Malabar region [Kerala] of India" unless my horticultural studies did not teach me enough. In any case, the Romi lipi books PRE-DATED the Devanagri books in Konkani. that is reason enough for Godfrey Gonsalves to celebrate! Why does Prof. S.M.Borges nitpick about History, that essentially deals with the 'Past', while UB's roadmap is for the 'Future'. Alvin Toffler's book "Back to the Future" seems to have been misread for turning one's back on the Future. Thus, the PAST is all they see! That's where the prime of UB, Prof.S.M.Borges and my dear friend, Fernando do Rego's life actually is. In Romi Lipi Konknni, we are looking at the FUTURE. It is the language that our children will use to communicate the stirrings of their heart across the globe through the internet. Let the Devanagri votaries have their swan song in the sun...with the financial assistance of the Goa Government to publish their literary works FOR THE ARCHIVES OF THE FUTURE. We GRUDGE IT NOT . They are our brethren, though they seem to know it not. O Deva , Deva! Tenchi 'nagri' khuim asa? [ Oh my Lord, where is their land? ] ................................................................... From: Sebastian Borges [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Re: "UDAY BHEMBRE's ROAD MAP TO HELL" by Godfrey > Gonsalves Therefore, let us consider the points raised by Godfrey on their merits. > 1. "Konkani in Roman script has a history since the > 16th century." This is a BASELESS LIE which is being > propagated by vested interests who subscribe to the > Goebelsian principle that "a lie, when repeated a > hundred times, becomes truth". They wrote religious books in Konkani in the local script but > could not get them printed because, in spite of their > best efforts, they could not obtain fonts in the local > script. Fr. Thomas Stephens, the British Jesuit was > one of those who tried their utmost to procure these > fonts; their letters are a testimony to this. It was > only when the Portuguese Government banned the use of > the local script for official documents that Fr. > Stephens transliterated his books into Roman script > and got them ready for printing. His "Doutrina > Christam" was printed posthumously in 1922; This > SEVENTEENTH CENTURY work is the earliest Konkani book > printed in the Roman script. Later, many more books > are reported to have been printed, the last one having > come out the press in 1660. NO KONKANI LITERARY > WORK IN ROMAN SCRIPT WAS PUBLISHED BETWEEN 1660 AND > 1890 (that is, for over two centuries!). LET GODFREY > CITE SUCH WORKS, IF ANY, BEFORE REPEATING THE LIE > that, in Konkani, Roman script has a history since the > sixteenth century! THE FIRST PRINTED KONKANI TEXT IN DEVANAGARI, > written by natives, DATES TO 1678. It is a > testimonial attached to Henrich van Rheede's > monumental work "Hortus Indicus Malabaricus" and > written by three Konkani vaidyas. At least one of > these vaidyas, who provided the Portuguese translation > thereof, was conversant with the Roman script. Yet, > he did not think it worthwhile to write the Konkani > text in the script adopted by the missionaries for > printing. > Let Godfrey, or his guru, disprove the above facts, if > he can. > S. M. Borges ................................................................ Romi Konkani is TINA...There Is No Alternative! 18 years of the Official Language Act,1987 and a dozen years of the Official Medium of Instruction rules for Grant in Aid to Primary Schools have shown us how far the Devanagri antruzi Konkani can take us. Sofa....and no further ....than the armchair[sofa?] votaries of the devanagri script for Konkani! Viva Goa. Miguel