Konkani script row: Cultural bond comes to the fore

Kannada writers consider the attempts to replace Devanagari as script for Konkani as a ploy to undermine cultural harmony between Kannada and Konkani.

An interesting debate on the appropriate script for Konkani language has started off in the literary circles of coastal and malnad Karnataka, in the wake of alleged attempts to impose Devanagari as a uniform script for the language.

Even though Konkani has been included in schedule 8 of the Indian constitution, scholars are yet to decide on the right kind of script for it, in the absence of a script of its own.

Several organisations are demanding that the government allow use of Konkani as a medium of instruction in schools. However, the absence of a universally accepted script is proving to be a stumbling block in their endeavour.

Second thoughts

Lack of consensus on the issue of the script to be used for Konkani language has also put the litterateurs in a spot. The prospect of winning award becomes brighter when the script used is Devanagari. It is also a fact that literary works of Konkani written in Devanagari script is being considered for awards by prestigious bodies like Kendra Sahitya Akademi.

As a result, Konkani writers, who have been using non-Devanagari script have started having second thoughts about their stance.

However, it is a known fact that there is a huge repository of Konkani books written using Kannada script. Several translations have also been undertaken from Konkani to Kannada and vice versa, enriching both the languages. Recently Konkani Sahitya Academy has brought out an index of important works in Kannada script.

Cultural fusion

There are four Konkani newspapers and journals which are being brought out in Kannada script, of which two are being brought out from Mumbai.

When Konkani and Kannada have complemented each other so well for decades now, is there really a need for the Devanagari script to be imposed on the language, ask many Konkani writers.

‘Internationalising’

Meanwhile, there are also some attempts to impose Roman script on Konkani, in a bid to ‘internationalise’ it.

According to them, once Konkani acquires the Roman script, it can be made popular using the internet and thus can reach people across the globe.

Bond with Kannada

It may be noted that a majority of the present day Konkani scholars, litterateurs and journalists had their schooling in Kannada medium institutions.

Consequently, there had been a lot of give and take between the two languages, besides the all important cultural assimilation between Kannada speaking and Konkani speaking communities.

The attempts to hoist devanagari script on Konkani has also annoyed some eminent Kannada writers. Criticising the move, Na D’ Souza, an eminent Kannada short story writer, in a statement issued to the press recently had warned the Konkani Sahitya Akademi against such misadventure.

He had also expressed reservation about the meeting being convened by the Akademi in this regard.

However, the President of the Akademi, in a rebuttal had denied any such move, and clarified that the meeting was being conducted just to elicit the opinion of writers and thinkers.

Konkani litterateurs, who have been using the Kannada script, also see the present move as an attempt by some to secure national level awards.

They are also of the firm belief that depriving one language of the other would be a great injustice to the cultural heritage of the coastal belt.