Re: [Goanet] Reviving lost enthusiasm for ROMAN KONKANI by Tomazinho Cardozo (Ancy D'Souza)
--- *** Follow Goanet on Twitter *** http://twitter.com/goanet --- Re: Issue 229, Message: 4 of Sat, 27 Feb 2010 Dear friends, In Konkani we say, "Sunneachi xempddi vankddich; ti nollient ghatli mhunn nitt zaunchich na". This is exactly the case with Tomazinho Cardozo. He keeps recycling the same lies over and over again in the hope that some day they might become the truth. These very lies were earlier propagated from another daily. When I asked an explanation, I was challenged to a debate. When the challenge was accepted, he just slunked away for some time, only to reappear in another forum. This is his habitual nauseating rigmarole. For the unacquainted, let me nail some of his lies for the nth time. 1. He says that in the Official Language Act (1987) Konkani language was fraudulently defined as "Konkani language means Konkani in Devanagari script. " This is a double misrepresentation. What the Act says is, " 'Konkani' means Konkani language written in Devanagari script. " Even a student will see the difference between the two statements. It is surprising that someone who has been the Headmaster of an English-medium High school cannot appreciate this difference; obviously it is a deliberate misrepresentation. Secondly, a legislation never replaces a dictionary; but, when a word employed in the legislation has multiple meanings, in order to preclude lenghty litigation,it is incumbent upon the lawmakers to specify the meaning intended; this meaning is not general but specific to the scope of just that legislation. It would be wrong to apply that meaning to the same word used in another lagislation. For example, the Goa University Act, passed by the same Legislature, defines 'Court' as "the Court of Goa University". Could we rightly say that this meaning should hold good for the word 'court' when used in every other legislation, let alone in a newspaper? And Cardozo has been not just a legislator but Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly. Can we imagine that such a person does not understand this. Do we need further proof? 2.He further says. "The Sahitya Academy stopped entertaining any literature written in the Roman script because of the definition of Konkani language in the Act. " Cardozo has been a member of the Sahitya Akademi's Advisory Board for Konkani. Therefore he is aware of the general policies followed by the Akademi. He knows that the working of the Akademi is independent of political events whether at the State or Central level. As an example, I am sure that he will recall the recognition bestowed upon Konkani contrary to the advice of then Chief Minister of Goa. She had sent a note saying that there would be rivers of blood flowing on the streets of Goa, should the Akademi embark on such a foolhardy step. It is a verifiable fact that the Akademi adopted Devanagari as the recognized script for Konkani on the basis of a unanimous recommendation of the Advisory Board for Konkani. This was in 1981, not 1987! 3. Further, he contends, "No writer or lover of Konkani in the Roman script was appointed for any job in Goa Konkani Akademi. " What is the basis for this contention? Has he administered a writing / reading test to the employees? 4. He makes a preposterous statement: "This thought is fascist in nature as it attempts to destroy all other scripts and all other dialects of the Konkani language. " Could he enlighten us regarding the number of dialects preserved in Roman script? Let me refer to the keynote address delivered at the Second Konkani Literary and Cultural (Roman Script)Conference held at Curchorem on 20-02-2010. He said, "He (Romi) lipintli Konknni vachtona zoxem Devonagori lipintle Konknnint zannvota toxem boroitoleachi zat-pat, dhorm', ganv oslem sohozponnan zannvona. " (The caste, religion and region of the writer become evident in Konkani written in Devanagari, but the same is not the case with Konkani written in Roman script.) What does this show? The boot is on the other foot! 5. But the biggest fraud is the title of the article itself which contains the words ROMAN KONKANI in capitals. The article appeared on the very day when Cardozo was berating the members of the audience, participating in a discussion of a paper, at that very Conference for using the term ‘Romi Konknni’ or ‘Roman Konkani’ because, according to him, it means "Konkani language brought from Rome. " Forget the fact that he has himself used the term umpteen times. Could anyone find a better example of political double-talk? Sotachench zoit zatolem. Mog asum. Sebastian Borges The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage. http://in.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] Reviving lost enthusiasm for ROMAN KONKANI by Tomazinho Cardozo
--- *** Follow Goanet on Twitter *** http://twitter.com/goanet --- Reviving lost enthusiasm for ROMAN KONKANI by Tomazinho Cardozo Questions of script apart, it is the Konkani language that can save Goan culture and identity, says Tomazinho Cardozo The second Konkani Literary and Cultural Conference organized by the Dalgado Konkani Academy which began on Saturday will end on Sunday at the Frank Fernand Nagar, Ravindra Bhavan Curchorem-Savordem. The conference is basically organized to recreate the lost enthusiasm among writers and readers of Konkani in the Roman script. Since the passing of the Goa Official Language Act, 1987, in which the Konkani language was fraudulently defined as "Konkani language means Konkani in Devnagari script", thereby intentionally attempting to crush the influence of Konkani in the Roman Script, writers and lovers of Konkani in Roman script have been subjected to much injustice. Although the major strength of Konkani at the time of the language agitation was lovers of Konkani in the Roman script, they were betrayed by introducing the above definaition of the Konkani language. The lovers of Konkani in the Roman script fought with all their might to make "Konkani language" the official language of Goa and not "Konkani in Devnagari script" the official language of Goa. This was nothing short of a conspiracy. Since 1987 the lovers of Konkani in the Roman script have been literally humiliated as their written works not considered for publication nor were they given importance at any level. The architects of the Official Language Act have been controlling all the government and semi-government bodies, which decided on the activities of Konkani in Goa. These people were all out to eliminate Konkani in the Roman script. Some examples are: Goa Konkani Akademy was constituted by the government. The lovers of Konkani in the Roman script were neglected. One in the Roman script were neglected. One or two, who were sympathetic to the Roman script were included in the committee which has a strength of 12 to 15 members. They ere never considered for the post of president and vice president. The same criteria was followed while constituting statutory bodies at the state, as well as national level, including the advisory board of Sahitya Acaemy, New Delhi The sahitya Academy stoped entertaining any literature written in the Roman script becasude of the definition of Konkani language in the Act. Kala Ccademy used to give annual literatary awards for books in Konkani in the Roman script right from the inception of those awards. That too was stopped. No writer or lover of Konkani in the Roman script was appointed for any job in Goa Konkani Akadem. Institutions like the art and culture department, the then official language cell, All India Radio and Dordarshan, where Konkani activists were accommodated in large numbers, sidelined lovers of Konkani in the Roman Script. The literary works of Roman script writers were not considered for awards at any level. The blunt message from the leaders of Konkani in Goa was: If any one dreamt of awards then one had to write the book in the Devnagari script. "One Script, One Language and One Society’ was the new "mantra" of the protagonists of Konkani in the Devnagari script. This thought is fascist in nature as it attempts to destroy all other scripts and all other dialects of the Konkani language. Due to this anti-Roman script attitude of the Konkani leaders, writers and readers of Konkani in the Roman script were demoralized. Creative writing came to a halt. The reading habit in Konkani in the Roman script was adversely affected. During the last 18 to 20 years Konkani in the Roman script has lost an entire generation of writers and readers. The only satisfaction was that children, youth and elders continued and still continue to perform all their religious activities in the churches of Goa, which uses Konkani in the Roman script for its liturgical purposes. It was also observed that lovers of Konkani in the roman script, instead of sending their children to study Konkani in the Devnagari script, preferred English. As such the number of students in the Konkani primary schools, run by the Archdiocesan Board of Education declined and continues to decline. On the other hand the number of English schools and students in them increased. If such a situation is allowed to continue we shall be responsible of driving away our own people from the Konkani language, which means disconnecting them from Goan culture and Goan identity. It if for this reason that since lasty year Dalgado Konknni Academy started organizing annual conferences, with the sole aim of encouraging creative writing and keeping the flame of Kon
