On 8th August 2005 Konkani supporters of Roman script met at Our Lady of Grace Church Hall Margao Goa and unanimously decided to demand equal status for Konkani in Roman script (KRS). With the email messages sent to the Chief Minister of Goa and others by the supporters of "Unity in LNGUAGE diversity IN SCRIPTS " from India and abroad the movement got an encouraging start.
Political leaders from the Coastal talukas or Old Conquests (Velhas Conquistas) were reluctant to revive the language issue now after 18 years. However notwithstanding their eerie silence since then the following have been achieved thus far: 1. In the last Budget session of the Goa Legislative Assembly i.e on 30th August 2005 Mr Jeetendra Deshprabhu, MLA Pernem raised the issue of KRS, this provoked the CM Mr Pratapsing Raoji Rane of the Congress led coalition Government in Goa (MGP and NCP) to assure on the floor of the House when the demands for Official Language were passed that financial assistance will also be given to KRS. The Opposition BJP did not oppose this assurance. 2. Following this announcement Kala Akademi, Campal Panaji Goa which had discontinued giving awards to books published in KRS have reverted their earlier decision and decided to consider books in KRS for awards together with books published in Konkani in Devanagari script. 3. On 15th August 2005TSKK published its TSKK Romi Lipi booklet. It contains the modified orthography to write Konkani in Roman script. On 2nd October 2005 the second revised edition of this booklet was released. 4. Goa Government also directed Goa Konkani Akademi (GKA) through Directorate of Official Language to give financial assistance to KRS. Accordingly GKA has announced a few schemes for KRS for the current financial year 2005-06 5. Diamond Publications a private organisation have started a new Konkani fortnightly of tabloid size in Roman script "Goencho Ulo" 10,000 copies were distributed free of cost all over Goa to inspire the revival of KRS. 6. Vishwa Konkani Parishad (World Konkani Federation) is formed to unite all Konkani institutions which believe in the universal principle "Unity in diversity". Mr. Eric Ozario of "Mandd Shobann fame of Mangalore is its President and Mr Tomazinho Cardozo is its Secretary. Tentatively its office is situated at Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr, Alto Porvorim, Goa premises 7. "History Hour" Xavier Centre of Historical Research Porvorim Goa. provided a platform to Mr Uday Laximikant Bhemmbre (Advocate) ex Independent MLA Margao to present his paper :Road Map for the development for Konkani (Devanagari) script 2050 and on another ocassion Mr Tomazinho Cardozo, ex-MLA, ex-speaker of Goa Legislative assembly and ex-President of Dalgado Konknni Akademi read a paper on "Socio-Economic Growth of the Goan Community through the Konkani Language". Mr Bhembre is a votary of the ONLY ONE SCRIPT ONE LANGUAGE (Devanagari) while Mr Cardozo is a votary of UNITY IN LANGUAGE DIVERSITY IN SCRIPTS. Many myths of the ONLY ONE SCRIPT ONE LANGUAGE (Devanagari) were exposed, by the audience. 8. A vital decision dated 21.11.1981 and obtained from the Sahitya Academi New Delhi which was taken by Advisory Committee for Konkani of the Sahitya Akademi New Delhi was made public. This decision exposed clearly that the ONLY ONE SCRIPT ONE LANGUAGE lobby masterminded their monopoly over the script to slowly but surely crush the lobby of UNITY IN LANGUAGE DIVERSITY IN SCRIPTS thereby getting Konkani only in Devanagari script recognised as the Official language on 4.2.1987 9. After 18 years there is a clear realisation among the votaries of UNITY IN LANGUAGE DIVERSITY IN SCRIPTS that all the jobs announced by the Government of Goa which specify Knowledge of Konkani essential -- means Konkani only in Devanagari script and therefore those knowing Roman script mainly Catholics are not qualified to apply for Government jobs. Niether are tiatrs mando festivals entitled for grants from the government at best they may get assistance as doles - charity. 10. Mr Ramakant Khalap ex Union Minister for Law and ex Congress MLA Mandrem Constituency has now publicly reiterated on more than one ocassion that even to this day he has been supporting KRS and it was only some Catholic political leaders like Mr Tomazinho Cardozo, Mr Churchill Alemao and others who at the height of the language agitation of 1985 under the banner of KPA who were misled by the ONLY ONE SCRIPT ONE LANGUAGE lobby to suscribe to Konkani only in Devanagari script. While the movement to demand an amendment to the Official language Act 1987 to give equal recognition to KRS is being pursued in right earnest with the support of political parties like the MGP NCP UGDP and BJP if the Congress fails to rectify the harm done to the UNITY IN LANGUAGE DIVERSITY IN SCRIPTS lobby; there is encouraging news from Karnataka. The Secretary (Education) Government of Karnataka Mr T M Vijaybhaskar (tel 080-22257334) in a tele-talk with this writer on 15th December, 2005 confirmed that the Government of Karnataka has agreed to teaching of Konkani in Kannada script in schools from the coming academic year in 2006-07. There was a vociferous demand from the ONLY ONE SCRIPT ONE LANGUAGE to allow Konkani only in Devanagari script which failed despite hectic lobbying with the powers to be. However the notification will be issued by the Government of Karnataka only after the forthcoming Zilla Panchayat elections are over. This has come as a great boost for our demand for official recognition to KRS. Meanwhile the two month long signature campaign being carried out has recieved tremendous response and has now gone beyond the State. This writer was telephonically informed that in Marine Lines Mumbai the Social Action Group of the Archdiocese of Mumbai has spearheaded the signature campaign and is recieving emotive response from not only Goans but other votaries of UNITY IN LANGUAGE DIVERSITY IN SCRIPTS. The office of the President of India has also taken keen interest in the representation presented to him while in Goa and positive response is expected notwithstanding Mr Bhembre's ridiculing the intent of the representation, in his talk at the Xavier Centre of Historical Research Porvorim Goa. GODFREY J I GONSALVES BORDA MARGAO GOA [EMAIL PROTECTED] Send instant messages to your online friends http://in.messenger.yahoo.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Goa - 2005 Santosh Trophy Champions | | | | Support Soccer Activities at the grassroots in our villages | | Vacationing in Goa this year-end - Carry and distribute Soccer Balls | --------------------------------------------------------------------------
