More scripts for Konkani will harm the language

By Uday Bhembre

The Vichar Vibhag of the Goa pradesh Congress committee conveyed its view on Official language Act to all the members of the Congress legislative party as follows:

“We are given to understand that a private member’s bill is likely to be introduced in the forthcoming session of the legislative assembly. It is also learnt that the object of the bill is to introduce Roman script in addition to Devanagari script for Konkani in the Official Language Act.

“The members of the Vichar Vibhag deliberated on this subject and they felt that their view on this subject be communicated to you so as to enable you to avoid complications in the use of Konkani as official language.

The considered view of Vichar Vibhag is as follows:

“Nobody has ever said or even suggested that the use of Roman script for Konkani should be banned or stopped. The use of Roman script continues and it should continue without any impediment as long as people desire to use that script or they feel the need to use it.

“The two cultural institutions of the government, Kala Academy and Goa Konkani Akademi, have already revised their policies and programmes so that there are no obstacles in the use of Roman script or any impediments for writers and artistes who use Roman script.

“Writers in Roman script should be encouraged and they should get facilities on par with the others. This is being done and for that no change in the Official Language Act is required. The Official Language Act is applicable only to official work of the government. It has no bearing upon what people do in the social and cultural spheres of life.

In these circumstances it will not be wise to amend the Official Language Act. The reasons are:

1) Almost every state in our country has its Official Language Act. But there is no Official Language Act in which two or more scripts are prescribed for any language.

2) Unfortunately, in Goa, scripts are related to religious communities. Therefore, scripts isolate one community from the other in respect of literature, journalism etc. This is not conducive to communal harmony and unity.

3) Roman script for Konkani is used by a section of the Catholic community, which is a minority in the state. The script should not isolate it from others as such isolation is not in the interest of any minority community, especially when fundamentalists in the majority community are active.

4) Education in Konkani in Goa began in 1963. In 1990, the Diocesan Society of Education took a wise decision to introduce Konkani as a medium of instruction in their schools. All education in Konkani — from primary schools to the university — is in Devanagari script. Boys and girls from the Catholic community who have had this education are today working as teachers, journalists etc. Those who are studying in high schools today will be 40-45 years of age in 30 years’ time. Writers in Konkani, teachers, journalists, artistes will emerge from them. They will be fully equipped with Devanagari and will not need an additional script.

5) Multiplicity of scripts has created problems for the development of Konkani and for its standardisation. Therefore, in 1939, All-India Konkani Parishad, apex institution of Konkani-speaking people from Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala, appealed to the Konkani-speaking community to gradually adopt one script — Devanagari — to bring about better communication and propagation of literature. That process is on. Therefore, perpetuating more scripts for future will be harmful for Konkani.

6) The Official Language Act is enacted with the future requirements in mind. No amendment of this Act is required to give facilities for Roman script in the fields of literature, art and culture today. We should not impair our future by changing the law.

As you are aware, the Official Language Act has not been touched at all for amendment so far. Protagonists of Marathi are now and then demanding official status for Marathi. If the Act is amended now for Roman script, it will be easy for others now or in the future to amend it for inclusion of Marathi. For this reason it is best to leave it untouched.

The Vichar Vibhag requests you to ponder over these points seriously and to avoid any amendment of the Official Language Act so as to avoid complications for Konkani as official language.

I hope the full text of the communication will throw sufficient light on the distortions and falsehoods attempted by destructive elements with ulterior motives.

As regards Prince Jacob, I forgive him for various reasons. Firstly, because he is ignorant about the working of a political party in democracy. He is not aware that Vichar Vibhag members have as much right to express their views to the legislators of the party as Prince Jacob has.

Secondly, because he was too young when we toiled day and night under the banner of Konkani Porjecho Avaz (KPA) to prevail upon the then government to enact the Official Language Act making Konkani the official language. Prince Jacob is ignorant about the genesis and the significance of that movement.

Thirdly, Prince Jacob is ignorant about the purpose of an official language act and its limits. He is misled by elements who are desperately trying to divide the Goan community on the basis of religion and caste. As regard the allegation that I was involved in drafting the bill or I was its ‘architect’ as DKA (Dalgado Konkani Academi) puts it, it springs out of ignorance and malice. I was a member of the executive of KPA which was not at all involved in the drafting of the bill. We were in the opposite camp. As regards me, I was an Independent member of the House sitting in the opposition. I was not part of the then government or of the ruling party. Mr Luizinho Faleiro (he too was in the opposition) and I read the contents of the bill only when it was presented to the House. We opposed the reference to Marathi and walked out in protest. Neither I nor any other member of the KPA deserves the dubious credit for drafting the bill.

Prince Jacob, his Teatr Academy and DKA are entitled to their views. It will be proper for them to express their views without making false, baseless and wild allegations against others. The allegations against me, which I believe are expressions of communal and casteist minds, need no answers. I leave those allegations and those who make them 19 years after the Official Language Act was enacted to the judgement of the people of Goa. (The writer is the chairman of Congress’ Vichar Vibhag)