In the past few weeks, there has been a surge in the number of Gram Sabhas of village panchayats of Navelim, St Estevam, Calangute, Penha de Franca, Curtorim, Cana-Benaulim, Ambelim, Velsao Pale, Telaulim, Velim and Cansaulim, all passing resolutions in support of the recognition of Konkani in the Roman script. The voice grows louder each day.
It appears the modus operandi is to give up on politicians and file a complaint with the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities, New Delhi supported by resolutions passed by many village Gram Sabhas. This would support the claim of villagers demanding their fundamental right to protect their language and script and give Roman script its rightful place as per Article 29(1) and 30 of the Constitution which provides safeguards to linguistic protection of the minorities. This would entail an amendment to the Official Language Act citing reasons of linguistic equality and representation as both scripts can co-exist harmoniously as seen in many languages.
The argument that Konkani was not developed to be recognized as the official language with Marathi is now repeated to deny the recognition of Konkani in the Roman script. That in comparison to Marathi, there was not much literature in Konkani, more than a generation had grown up learning Marathi at the primary level that even the prayer books were in Marathi. However after the recognition of Konkani, it has developed a vast treasure house of literature. Every script requires the support and backing of the government to grow to its full potential.
All communities participated in the language agitation. The Konkani Jyot taken from village to village and was passed from hand to hand and people contributed generously. The Konkani Porjecho Awaz protest meetings were addressed by all lovers of Konkani – politicians and professionals, the majority and minority voices stood together to make Konkani the official language of Goa.
Gurunath Kelekar edited the newspaper; ‘Goencho Mog’. Dr Francis Rebello edited the people’s funded newspaper, ‘Novem Goem’. Respected senior gynaecologist Dr Sicletica Rebello, recollects a conversation that took place in her presence at her residence in Margao between her husband, Dr Rebello, and a Konkani icon today. When asked about the future of Konkani in Roman script, the reply in Konkani was, “Dotour, first let us get Konkani in the devnagari script passed, otherwise neither will be passed.”(in Konkani it rhymed as, “yewuim ani thewuim zavpana”).
More than 37 years back, it was indeed a tactical move of an activist, however we need to re-examine whether we can allow a script spoken, written and used to date by so many Goans die a slow death.
A generation has grown up in Goa studying their primary either in Konkani or Marathi. I remember both my daughters writing English telephone messengers in devnagari script, as taught to them in school. Many parents got an opportunity to study a language never taught to them in school. However the missing link in the pedagogy which encouraged primary education in the mother tongue was that this mother-tongue though Konkani was different both in script, dialect and to a large extent even vocabulary than that taught in the primary schools.
Most representatives of the people of Goa then, had enrolled their children and grandchildren in private English medium schools. Sadly only the rich could afford the fees of private schools!
My mother and mother-in-law and many others of that generation always read the Vauradeancho Ixtt as it came by post and each copy was circulated among neighbours. They also read ‘Romances’ of Reginald Fernandes. They liked to see tiatrs and sing Konkani mandos and the classic Konkani film song and also prayed devotedly and read the holy books in Roman Konkani. It is mandatory for those who receive the first Holy Communion to know all prayers in Roman Konkani. I recollect my daughter writing in Devnagri, a Roman Konkani prayer she had to recite on the mike on the day of her first Holy Communion! Nobody can dispute that Roman script Konkani has always been a central part of our, Goan upbringing, ethos and culture and will always continue to be, with or without official recognition!
I once had a very educative experience in the lounge of the Dabolim airport almost two decades back. A young mother next to me was reading a story from an English book with sudden gestures and loud voice modulations – the child was spell bound. The language was Hebrew. This Montessori pedagogy needs to be emulated by all. With the right revitalization efforts and resources, a language can bounce back but without support face extinction.
India has 218 endangered languages, based on data taken from the Endangered Languages Project. In the words of Dr Ganesh Devy, research scholar of languages and activist, “each language that dies is a culture system that is lost.” Writers of the Roman script are treated unequally under the law as their works are not considered for the Sahitya Academy Awards. Most Goans has grown up hearing their elders use opario to make a point. ‘Porje vinnem raja nam’ (there is no king without the people) reminds every government where the power lies. Why deny the praja’s demands if it doesn’t cost much and safeguard’s their very being?
The Vietnamese have opted for what they refer as Latin script as their official language (70% of the world uses it) over their thousand year old script with Chinese characters. Konkani is also written in Kannada, Malyalam and Perso-Arabic. All the shop names, the menu cards are written in this script. They still speak their own language but most Vietnamese cannot speak English.
For long years, many Roman speaking people, including me were confused which was the more acceptable Konkani, that taught in schools or spoken at home? Principal Rajay Pawar, reassured me to speak the Konkani that came naturally to me. Speaking my mother’s language was more effortless. I remember my three-year-old daughter made the butt of jokes when she used the word, tokoli for ‘head’ instead of the word, tokli. Once a library assistant from north Goa, used the words, “book gavlo”, when he found a missing book, a word not used in ‘my Konkani’.
Premanand Lotlikar, eminent tiatrist and former President of the Dalgado Konkani Akademi some days back, said that "while efforts are made to protect the land, agricultural fields and rivers, it is equally crucial to safeguard the Konkani language, the mother tongue of Goa." He urged the government to reconsider this issue as it would be a great injustice to side line the community that uses the Roman script.
Last week, the Auxiliary Bishop Fr Simião Purificação Fernandes at an awards function emphasized the importance of concerted efforts to preserve the Konkani language. The Auxiliary Bishop’s call underlines the on-going struggle to safeguard and promote Roman Konkani as a vital part of Goa’s cultural and linguistic heritage.
Nobody can be a loser if Konkani Roman script is also recognised. In fact, the Sahitya Academy Awardees club will become more inclusive! All Konkani lovers fought together for the language at one time and now it is time for the Devnagari protagonists to stand alongside the Roman script lovers so that the Roman script also survives and thrives.
(Dr Sushila Sawant Mendes is Professor & Author in History & Goa Govt Best College Teacher Awardee)