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Goanetters visiting Viva Goa 2006 in Toronto, Canada on July 29, can use
the BMX booth as a meeting point. Please list your name on the message
board that will be provided, courtesy of BMX.
http://bmxgoa.com
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As a strong protagonist of Konkani in Roman script
since the language agitation began in September 1985
it may interest the participants of the meet being
held in Kuwait city on the following:
a) Goa with Daman and Diu was an Union Territory
(under the rule of the Central Government ) after its
Liberation on 19/12/1961 (call it annexation conquest
whatever);
b) India's first PM late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
strongly felt that Goa should maintain its unique
identity;
c) The idea of a State of Goa was formulated then.
d) In the first elections to the Legislative Assembly
of the Union Territory of Goa Daman and Diu with 28 +
2 seats the Indian National Congress fielded 28
landowners and they all lost their deposit. It was Mr
Bhausaheb Dayanand Bandodkar who took a cue from then
Maharashtra Chief Minister late Mr Yeshwantrao Chavan
who advised the fielding of tenants/mundcars at they
won. But the Maharashtrian agenda was simple to merge
Goa with Maharashtra.
e)They were confident to succeed in this design
because those in the Novas Conquistas (new Conquests)
talukas like Bicholim Sattari Ponda Quepem Canacona
Sanguem Pernem were essentially dominated mainly by
low caste Hindus and migrants from Maharashtra who
adopted Goan village surnames like Dhargalkar from
Dhargalim in Pernem Pednekar from Pernem etc; At the
same time these people feared that if the Hindu
Brahmins and Catholics in the Salcete Mormugao Bardez
Ilhas now Tiswadi dominated the political scenario
they would continue to suffer post Portuguese regime.
It was this divide that dictated the politics of Goa
and continues to dicate every issue -- Opinion Poll.
the Language Agitation, the Nylon 6'6 the Konkan
Railway the Meta Strips agitation and the Language
issue and now finally the script Roman or Catholic.
f) In all this covertly or overtly it is the Catholic
community that remained at the recieving end and were
used first by the Hindu Brahmins as stepping stone to
their success and later by noveau riche Hindu Bahujan
(non Brahmins )
g) gradually it is the Hindu community that has been
trying to gain a predominance over the Catholic
community and this obviously because the Caatholics
had their good days during the colonial period.
h) there is always a skin deep divide between the
Hindu Brahmin and Hindu non Brahmin community which
gains legitimacy in the temples. Yet when it comes to
extending support to Catholics the Hindu Bahujan samaj
would be sympathetic but never take active part nor
openly demonstrate thier support.
With this background examine the politics of Konkani
script
a) first battle was won on 26th February, 1975 when
Konkani was recognised as an official language
b) but on 21st November, 1981 the cunningness of the
Hindu Brahmins was clear when they asked the National
Academy of Letters (a body which recognises languages
from among the numerous languages of the country) that
in the case of Konkani ONLY DEVANAGARI script would be
accepted as the natural script for Konkani and none
other whether it is Kannada, Perso Arabic, Kannada or
Malayalam.
It is this major decision which came to light only in
2005 when the Konkani Academy of Karnataka sought this
letter as they were demanding Konkani in Kannada to be
accepted for all purposes.
This decision was not made public until now.
In 1985 when the script issue came up.
Mr Uday L Bhembre Advocate and ex Independent MLA
Margao did not tell the Konkani Porjecho Avaz Catholic
leaders about the resolution of 21st November, 1981
instead they told them these half truths:
a) for statehood to be attained Goa should have an
official language ----because states were re-organised
(from the over 550 princely states in India during
British rule) since 1956 on liguistic basis thus
Andhra Pradesh had Telegu Kerala Malayalam Orrisa
Oriya Bengal Bengali Maharashtra Marathi and obviously
Goa Konkani.
b) then Mr Bhembre told the KPA Catholic leaders that
it was better to accept the devanagari script because
i) it would make the Hindu community viz the non Hindu
Brahmins who were demanding Marathi as the official
language (this was only a political demand --- no Goan
in the Velhas or Novas Conquistas will demand this
literally becuase if that happens jobs will easily go
to Maharashtrians who are more conversant in written
and spoken Marathi) would easily accept Konkani in
devanagari script since they were familiar with the
script.
c) therefore Catholics need to make some sacrifice and
that is what happened 19 years ago.
But after the Language Act of 1987 in 1994 Mr Radharao
Gracias brought about the Bill to introduce Konkani in
Roman script but then and present CM Mr Pratapsing
Raoji Rane threw it out from the Goa Legislative
Assembly and did not accept the amendment Bill.
It is in the nineteen years that the massess viz
Catholic parents of school going children
senior and middle aged Catholic
tiatrists dramatists writers poets etx realised that
it was the Hindu Brahmin community just three percent
of the population who benefitted
a) in matter of jobs because only those with knowledge
of Konkani in Devanagari script could benefit
b) the cultural programmes familiar with the Hindu
Brahmins found favour at all Government functions
c) usage of terminology like Gomant Vishwa Sammelan
Ravindra Bhavan etc etc took precedence
d) Mando Dulpods tiatrs were not given grants but
doles
e) and non of the over 1100 Marathi run schools
changed to Konkani in Devanagari
f) only the 126 Diocesan run schools shifted to
Konkani in Devanagari and thus made the children of
Catholic parents guinea pigs in the Hindu Saraswat
laboratory.
Therefore all arguments that Konkani in Roman script
is not standardised, the government is giving equal
assistance to Konkani in Roman script or is promoting
teatrs at its State run Kala Academy is merely to
wipe of the efforts of the protoganists of Konkani in
Roman script.
If Konkani in Roman script official status just like
Konkani in Devanagari script
all those used to Konkani in Roman script mainly the
Catholics will get grants from the budgetted funds of
the Government
they will be eligible for jobs in the Goa Government
(ask how is that every Hindu Brahmin gets only
Government jobs positions as Government Advocates
position as Government Chartered Accounts etc when
they constitute less than three percent of the
population of Goa) while Catholics have to work in the
Gulf overseas or in small non descript shops.
This is the ground reality its now or never we are
just 100 metres away from the finishing line shed your
differences at this juncture -- join the bandwagon for
Konkani in Roman script.
Let the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman continue to be
prisoners of their own conscience-- they support
Devanagari script only --- but are publishing over
sixty thousand Povitr Pustok Bible (old and New
Testament in Roman script-- while converting all 126
diocesan schools in Konkani in Devanagari script.
Now they have realised the folly and the Archbishop
has now finally relented and decided that the Church
would not involve itself in the script controversy.
This is a good sign.
godfrey j i gonsalves
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
9822158584
P.S KINDLY CIRCULATE THIS FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL
ANY CLARIFICATIONS CAN BE SOUGHT FROM THIS WRITER.
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