Konkani Syllabus in Kannada Script Urged to be Made Compulsory

The Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy and Kannada Sahitya Parishat have appealed to the state government to make it compulsory to study Konkani books prepared in Kannada script.

This decision was taken at a meeting convene to gather information about the use of a particular script in Konkani subject here. It was unanimously decided to adopt Kannada script for Konkani lessons to be taught in the schools as optional subject from the next scholastic year.

As known, the government has consented to introduce Konkani as optional subject in the schools from the coming academic year. Though there has been a wide debate over the use of script, most of them feel that Kannada script should be adopted.

Accordingly, the textbooks have already been prepared under the guidance of Bharatiya Bhasha Samsthan. Though it has been decided to introduce Konkani as optional subject, many of the persons who attended the meet felt that it should be made a compulsory for the primary and high school students of Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts where Konkani-speaking people live in majority.

Taking into consideration the opinions expressed by various leaders who attended the meeting, Kannada Sahitya Parishat president Patil Puttappa and Konkani Sahitya Academy president Eric Ozario decided to submit an appeal to the government to make Konkani compulsory for the students of class VI to class X in the three districts of Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.