Has konkani claimed its last Martyr? Fr Pratap Naik (S.J) the illustrious Jesuit has made many enemies by fighting for the cause of Romi Konkani, the true Konkani read, understood and spoken by the Goan masses. Due to his untiring efforts a huge edifice of high caliber, The Thomas Stephens Konkani Kendr (TSKK)was built and nurtured under his care and guidance. This institute still stands tall today with no government help but with the donations and support of Konkani lovers far and wide. Fr Pratap Naik brought into sharp focus the discriminations suffered by the true Konkani users at the hands of the one script, one language, and one community lobby. The crumbs thrown today to the Romi Konkani and its cultural off-shoots is due to the revolutionary movement carried out by Fr Pratap Naik. Be it the naming of Pai Tiatrist auditorium at Rabindra Bhavan Margao, The formation of the Dalgado Konkani Akademy, The Tiatr Academy, recognition of separate award for Roman script books by the Kala Akademy and the struggle to treat Romi Konkani on par with devnagari for Sahitya Academy awards, is credited to the only Patriarch of Konkani Rev. Fr Pratap Naik a bailo settled in Goa. Fr. Pratap Naik has ruffled many feathers and disturbed many cozy nests of illustrious konkani wadis who until his revolutionary movement were living and enjoying at the exchequers cost to the exclusion of the the Niz Goykars who fought and died for the recognition of Konkani in Goa. Until that time everybody had resigned to their fate and Romi Konkani was dying a natural death. And hence Fr. Pratap Naik was to be sidelined isolated and uprooted form the very institution which he built and nurtured and ex-communicated and deported from Goa because he dared to touch the raw nerve of the hierarchical dominion of devnagri konkani. Fr. Pratap Naik knew it was coming but hardly had he dreamt that the brutus would be from within his own community, the Jesuit brotherhood. I always admired the Jesuits. They were learned, and erudite visionaries. They evangelized Goa, built the Churches and Institutions of learning in India and abroad. They truly brought the message of salvation through Christ to Goa. But certainly I wouldn’t think in my wildest dreams that they had such petty minds and juvenile attitudes towards their own bretheren. The missionary work of Fr. Pratap Naik does not end with disbanding him from TSKK, and suspending all his privileges and perks which he rightly deserves from the Jesuit Society. It truly starts now; here is a man who has sacrificed his everything for Konkani and Goan identity. What can we Goans do to help him when he rightly needs our help? It is time we repay him in equal measure. Wake up Goans, before it is too late. Cypriano Lopes Chinchinim 919420164192
