THOMAS STEPHENS KONKNNI KENDR B. B. Borkar Road, Alto Porvorim GOA - 403 521, INDIA (0832) 2415857, 2415864 e-mail:[EMAIL PROTECTED] website:www.tskk.org
Do you know RSM? It stands for Roman Script Movement. Why RSM? Roman script Konkani was the foundation on which Konkani was recognized by Central govt. Only in Goa Language act of 1987, for the reasons best known to Konknni Porjecho Avaz (KPA) Roman script was ignored and Devanagari was inserted as the official script for Konkani. Some Roman script writers have said the it was a "Conspiracy" by vested interest group. Therefore now RSM demands to rectify the past SIN by amending the Language Act of Goa (LAG)1987. Present situation: So far none of the local politicians have openly supported the move to amend LAG. Their silence could be interpreted has indirect support to RSM. In Bible Jesus says, "Those who are not against us are with us". Mr. Eduardo Faleiro's, (an ex. M.P. of Goa) statement supporting official status to dual scripts for Goa has been published in Herald daily (25th august) page 4. What has been done so far: 1.RSM has sent memorandum to 40 MLAs and M.Ps of Goa. RSM members have met a few politicians. They are going meet other MLAs. Future course of Action: Have patience. Wait for a surprise! ROMAN SCRIPT MOVEMENT (RSM) RSM demands from Goa Govt. the following: 1. Goa Government should give equal and official status to Konkani written in Devanagari and Roman scripts. For this the Govt. should modify the Language Act accordingly. The present Language Act,1987 2. (c) reads "Konkani language" means Konkani language in Devanagari script. We propose the following amendment to 2. (c): "Konkani language" means Konkani language in Devanagari and Roman scripts. 2. Goa Government recognizes Marathi Akademi as the official Akademi for Marathi in Goa and gives grants. Similarly, Goa Government must recognize Dalgado Konknni Akademi (DKA) as the official NGO of Konkani in Roman script and give the same amount of grants which the Govt. gives to Goa Konkani Akademi (GKA) and Marathi Akademi. 3. So far, Goa Govt. has not appointed the president of GKA from the Roman script group. The term of the present GKA president will be completed in the month of November 2005. Hence this time Govt. must appoint the president of GKA from Roman script writers. 4. GKA is a Govt. institution. At present a nominee of the All India Konkani Parishad is the ex-officio member of GKA. GKA Constitution must be amended to include a nominee of Dalgado Konknni Akademi as the ex-officio member of GKA. Goa Govt. appoints three eminent persons as ex-officio members of GKA. While nominating these three persons Govt. should give equal representation to Devanagari and Roman script. 5. For the last many years Kala Akademi (KA) has stopped giving awards to books written in Roman script. KA should be ordered to give awards to Roman script Konkani writers, and extend to them all other projects and schemes which are available to Konkani in Devanagari script. 6. Kala Akademi gives Gomantak Sharada Puroskar to Konkani writers in Devanagari script and Marathi writers. In future KA must consider and give this prestigious award to Roman script writers and artists as well. 7. Kala Akademi is established to promote the culture of Goa. Hence it should be asked to promote cultural forms of roman script Konkani. 8. Govt. must name its new theatre for the performing arts in Margão, in honour of Late João Agostinho Fernandes, who is popularly known as "Pai Tiatrist". 9. Tiatr is the most popular form of theatre in Goa. Therefore Govt. must promote it. 10. Govt. institutions and Govt. departments while publishing Konkani books, should publish them in both Devanagari script and Roman script. 11. In school syllabus, lessons from Roman script Konkani must be given equal representation without changing the language and style. In colleges and university the syllabus should include Konkani literature written in Roman script. 12. Konkani has two representatives in Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi. Goa Govt. sends three names to Sahitya Akademi as its nominees. Let the Goa Govt. send names of Devanagari writers and Roman script writers by turns. 13. To promote Konkani films the Govt. must establish a separate board with equal representation of artists from both scripts. Pratap Naik, S.J. TSKK