The Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy as well as Konkani organisations in the State, which met here under the aegis of the academy recently, have condemned the demand to merge Konkani-speaking areas in Karnataka with Goa. The academy has termed the demand “subversive.”
Eric Ozario, president of the academy, told presspersons here on Wednesday that such a demand was aimed at dividing the Konkani community. More than 25 lakh Konkani-speaking people were peacefully coexisting with their brethren in various parts of Karnataka. They had learnt to read, write and speak Kannada, and enjoyed a high sense of security in the State, he said.
The State had been extending all possible assistance for development of Konkani-speaking people and promotion of Konkani language, culture and arts.
Although the number of people speaking Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Malayalam in the State was more compared to those who spoke Konkani, the Government had been magnanimous in sanctioning an academy for the development of Konkani, he said.
The Government has also accorded sanction for introduction of Konkani as one of the third optional languages for sixth standard students from the current academic year, in both Kannada and Devanagari scripts. All these measures had given Konkani-speaking people a strong sense of security. Hence there was no reason for merging Konkani-speaking areas with Goa.
Noting that the Union Government had given official sanction for inclusion of Konkani as an official language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution on August 20, 1992, Mr. Ozario said the academy and the 130-odd Konkani organisations and institutions in the State had been observing that historic occasion as “Recognition Day.”
The 15th anniversary of this event would be observed here on August 19, he said. On the reason for holding the event a day earlier, Mr. Ozario said that August 19 would be convenient for everyone to participate in the cultural and sports programmes as it was a Sunday.
H.S. Shivarudrappa, registrar of the academy, was present.
Eric Ozario, president of the academy, told presspersons here on Wednesday that such a demand was aimed at dividing the Konkani community. More than 25 lakh Konkani-speaking people were peacefully coexisting with their brethren in various parts of Karnataka. They had learnt to read, write and speak Kannada, and enjoyed a high sense of security in the State, he said.
The State had been extending all possible assistance for development of Konkani-speaking people and promotion of Konkani language, culture and arts.
Although the number of people speaking Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Malayalam in the State was more compared to those who spoke Konkani, the Government had been magnanimous in sanctioning an academy for the development of Konkani, he said.
The Government has also accorded sanction for introduction of Konkani as one of the third optional languages for sixth standard students from the current academic year, in both Kannada and Devanagari scripts. All these measures had given Konkani-speaking people a strong sense of security. Hence there was no reason for merging Konkani-speaking areas with Goa.
Noting that the Union Government had given official sanction for inclusion of Konkani as an official language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution on August 20, 1992, Mr. Ozario said the academy and the 130-odd Konkani organisations and institutions in the State had been observing that historic occasion as “Recognition Day.”
The 15th anniversary of this event would be observed here on August 19, he said. On the reason for holding the event a day earlier, Mr. Ozario said that August 19 would be convenient for everyone to participate in the cultural and sports programmes as it was a Sunday.
H.S. Shivarudrappa, registrar of the academy, was present.
1 comment:
It's fine for Eric Ozario to comment on matters from Mangalore. Ground reality in Karwar is different. The state government has long neglected Karwar. Even the port (known as the safest natural port in Asia) was not developed. Instead, crores were and are being spent on Mangalore port which requires heavy maintenance dredging all around the year.
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