Of Language, Script and Panic By Tomazinho Cardozo All of a sudden, the language controversy of Goa surfaced in the Goa Legislative Assembly in a big way. The MLAs expressed their opinions as per their thinking. Some demanded equal status to Roman Script Konkani along with Devnagori script Konkani and some others felt that Konkani in Roman script and Marathi should be accorded equal status along with Konkani in Devnagori script. The Chief Minister, Shri Digamber Kamat assured the house that he would convene a meeting of all the stakeholders and make efforts to reach to a concensus in order to solve the language issue once for all. Can a concensus take place on an issue like this? For me it is practically impossible. But certainly one important thing that will take place is everyone will be in a position to expresss their views face to face which can go a long way in preparing a congenial atmosphere as far as language issue in Goa is concerned. Nevertheless, I see a kind of panic among the p[rotogonists of Devnagori script. This is because, besides leveling unfounded allegations against the protoganists of Konkani in Roman script, as reported, they have threatened to create a terror in the state if any one tries to amend the Goa Official Language Act of 1987. Do we live in a democracy? "Why did it take 20 years to demand equal status to Konkani in Roman Script" - is their first question. Yes, it took 20 years to know about the exact &hidden agenda* of the leaders in Devnagori script. The hidden agenda was to wipe out Konkani in Roman script from the Goan soil. In fact, the agitation for demanding equal status to Konkani in Roman script started when Dalgado Konknni Akademi was established in 1989 that is just after two years and not 20 years. It became intense during the last 8 years because Romi script protagonists realized that Konkani in Devnagori script has not succeeded in uniting Goans at all. It is alleged that the Goan Catholic Community is pro western and even the masses in the churches are now taking place in English. This allegation is to say that Catholic community is not interested in Konkani at all. It is not only Goan Catholic community but also the Goan Hindu community pampers English in public life. Scrutinize the life styles of Hindu community too. Every one, Hindus as well as Christians, today are pro-English and the reasons for that are well known to us. In 95% of the churches in Goa, there might be only one mass in English as against masses ranging from 8 to 25, in Konkani, as per the population of a parish, in a week. Till date all religious services in Catholic churches take place in Konkani in Roman script. Leaders of Devnagori lipi have no moral right to open their mouths about the use of English in Christian religious services because they do not conduct their religious services in Konkani. They allege that Roman script for Konkani will de-nationalize Goans. Rubbish! Nationalism and patriotism are values of our lives. Values cannot be taught, it should be caught. Hence no script and not even the language, including a foreign script and a foreign language, can influence these values. Yes, the content of the matter given through any language, including foreign language, can play some role in the formation of values. Therefore inculcation of values in us does not depend on Roman script at all. It solely depends on the behaviour and character of our parents, friends, teachers, society, etc., whose influence shapes our lives. And what righ do these leaders have to allege that Roman script will de-nationalize Goans? Take for example the growth of any leader of Devnagori loby. If he is a graduate educationally, he must have studied his primary education in Marathi for atleast 4 years, High School in English medium for 6 years, Higher Secondary School, again in English medium, for 2 years and College education, again in English medium, for another 3 years. In other words he must have learnt in regional language only for 4 years while his study in English, foreign script as well as foreign language, amounts to a long period of 11 years. Does this mean these leaders are de-nationalized? They claim that the demand for the Roman script for Konkani will divide Goans. Division can take place only if Goans are united through Konkani in Devnagiri script. Where is this so called unity of Goans through Konkani in Devnagiri script? Today Bahujan Samaz, the largest section of Hindu community, has not accepted Konkani in Devnagiri mainly because a particular dialect of very small community of Goa is dumped on all Goans. This is the reason why there are almost 1000 schools in Marathi medium and only about 133 Konkani medium schools out of which only 5 schools are managed by Hindu managements and the rest 127 by Christian management. So where is the unity of Goans through Konkani in Devnagori script? On the other hand the imposition of Konkani in Devnagiri script and also a particular dialect, which is not liked by the Catholic community, has compelled them to go away from Konkani language. This is the reason why the number of students in the 131 Konkani medium primary school managed by Catholic managements, is decreasing day by day. I have now realized that converting the Catholic primary schools in to Konkani medium, is a deep rooted conspiracy to finish catholic education in Goa. If there was unity, all Goans would have studied primary education in Konkani in Devnagiri script. Hence Konkani in Devnagiri script could not achieve unity among all Goans at all. Every Devnagori lipi protoganist makes a statement today that Goa Konkani Akademy gives equal treatment to Konkani in Roman script. This has taken place only for the last three years as far as publication of books are concerned. This was because the Romi protagonists agitated and the government was compelled to direct the Goa Konkani Akademy to support Konkani in Roman script. But how many Romi lipi lovers have been given representation in the Governing Council and General Council of GKA? How many Roman scriptwriters have been given an opportunity to head the GKA? What sort of equal treatment are we talking about? The Devnagori loby today insists on the principle of ※One Script, One Language, One Literature and One Society§. This approach has alienated majority of Konkani speaking people from the Konkani movement and compelled them to fight for their rights. If the agitation for Kanada script for Konkani in Karnataka and Romi script for Konkani in Goa became intense it was because of this narrow-minded concept of 'One Script, One Language, One Literature and One Society'. Traditionally Goans, Hindus as well as Christian, loved and still love their own religions and at the same time they respected and still respect the religious feelings of each other. This is the foundation of communal harmony and peace among Goans. If we believe in the development of Konkani language and in strengthening the unity among Goans, we will have to learn to love and respect various scripts of Konkani. Konkani language will prosper only if all its scripts and dialects are given equal importance/equal status. Konkani language will perish if a particular script and a particular dialect is imposed on all Konkani speaking people. (This article was published in "Gomantak Times" on September 3, 2008.) Goa's Pride - http://www.goa-world.com http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=_Avn6_AepNw&feature=related Gulf-Goans e-Newsletter is presented by Ulysses Menezes, www.goa-world.com and moderated by Gaspar Almeida (since 1994) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fywTuf-9S0k&feature=email
[Goanet] Of Language, Script and Panic - By Tomazinho Cardozo (Gomantak Times)
Goa's Pride www.goa-world.com Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:12:30 -0700