The DKA president, Mr Wilson Mazarello, addressing a press conference, today said that a symbolic rally will be held at Azad Maidan, on February 10, to display an active support to Konkani in Roman script.
“The rally is not a show of strength and will be participated by those who support equal status for Konkani in both scripts, including around 30 noted Konkani writers,” he added.
Appealing to the Konkani lovers to boycott the literary conference and openly show their protest, Mr Mazarello said that DKA demands from the government an equal status to Konkani written in Roman script at par with Konkani written in Devnagri script in the Official Language Act 1987.
“Imposition of Devnagri script and a particular dialect as the standard Konkani have resulted in driving away the minority community from the Konkani language,” he said, adding “DKA regrets to state that the imposition of Devnagri script for Konkani has divided the Goan community.”
Mr Mazarello further said, “The Akhil Bharatiya Konkani Parishad, instead of respecting the varieties of Konkani and thereby forging unity among the various regions, communities, dialects and scripts, has caused irreparable damage to the unity of Konkani, by adopting a retrograde policy of one script, one dialect/ language, one literature, one community.”
Hence DKA wants to end the injustice meted out to all the scripts of Konkani except Devnagri, he noted.
“Through its above mentioned communal policy, the Akhil Bharatiya Konkani Parishad is sowing the seeds of communal division, hatred and disharmony in Goa and among followers of Konkani in various scripts spread throughout the country,” he said.
Mr Mazarello also mentioned that the Akhil Bharatiya Konkani Parishad is not registered under the Societies’ Registration Act 1860, and furthermore remained an ‘exclusive club’ of a fistful of persons and organisations to get funds from government and public, to organise unproductive conferences.
“No genuine attempt has been made by the parishad either to include active registered bodies into it or promote Konkani language and literature,” he alleged.
The DKA president also observed, “since the Akhil Bharatiya Konkani Parishad is not a registered society, it has no legal status and right to ask for, or receive government grants, subsidies and funds.”
He further said, “A coterie of writers who control Akhil Bharatiya Konkani Parishad, also control and manipulate practically all the matters related to Konkani at the state as well as central government level, in various departments and institutions.”
The former president of DKA, Mr Tomazinho Cardozo, speaking on the occasion said “Though the Goa Konkani Akademi, at the direction of the government, has started planning activities for Roman Konkani, much is left desired for this script of Konkani.
Mr Cardozo also said that he is convinced about the futility in efforts to unite Goans through one language and one script. “How’s that possible when large number of people have richly contributed towards Roman Konkani literature and language, and furthermore all the religious events of the Catholic community are conducted in Roman Konkani,” he added.
‘Goem Shahir’, Ulhas Buyao was also present at the press briefing.
1 comment:
I do not understand why people protest the adoption of Devanagari script and are calling for Roman script. Atleast, Devanagari is Indian. I find it easier to read Konkani in Devanagari script than in Roman script.
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