Team Herald
MARGAO: Lamenting that Konkani in Roman script was not getting the due place it deserved in the Official Language Act, the Dalgado Konknni Akademi (DKA) on Saturday vowed to fight to take the battle forward to get equal status for mother tongue in Roman script in the Act.
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Refuting the claims made by the supporters of Devanagari that no injustice was done to Konkani in Roman script, Dalgado Konknni Akademi (DKA) on Saturday stated that all the discrimination and injustice can be prevented only if equal status is given to Konkani in Roman script along with Konkani in Devanagari script in the Goa official language act.
At a press conference, Tomazinho Cardozo (former President of DKA and former Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly) along with Celso Fernandes (President), Fr Myron Barretto, Secretary of the Dalgado Konkani Academy (DKA), William Fernandes (Vice-President), Premanand Lotlikar, Vincy Quadros (both former Presidents of DKA), and others addressed the ongoing issue of script discrimination.
They emphasized that the few benefits provided by the government do not equate to granting equal status to Konkani in Roman script and argued that despite these benefits, Roman script Konkani still lacks official recognition and parity with Devanagari script Konkani.
The statement made by one prominent supporter of Konkani in Devanagari script in an interview to local TV channel that Konkani in Roman script was given official status since long in Goa are false and misleading, said Cardozo.
DKA further made their stand clear that their fight to get equal status to Roman script in the official language act will continue and wished the Global Konkani Forum best of luck in the movement started by them.
“When Goa Konkani Academy was established, the committee formed to run the affairs included about 16 members. Only two were followers of Romi Konkani while the remaining 14 members were the supporters of Devanagari. Is this justice?,” questioned Cardozo.
He further questioned that when the advisory committee for Konkani at the Sahitya Academy, New Delhi formed of the 11 members, it included only 1 follower of Romi Konknni.
“When staff for GKA was appointed for the first time, not even 10 percent were the followers of Konkani in Roman script. Can we call it justice? Observe the pattern of how employment is provided in departments like Art and Culture, Tiatr Academy of Goa or the Goa Kala Academy where protagonists of Konkani in Roman script can be appointed. Not even 10 percent of staff in these departments are from the field of Konkani in Roman script?”, questioned Cardozo.
He said that the recent statements made by supporters of Devanagri Konkani are false and misleading. In fact, the Goa Official Language Act of 1987 does not even make a mention of Roman script of Konkani in the act while it categorically states that ‘Konkani language in Devanagari script shall be the official language of Goa and Marathi shall be used for all official purposes.
“There is no status whatsoever for Konkani in Roman script in the act and hence the above statement made in the press conference of Konkani Bhasha Mandal is mischievous and deceitful,” said Cardozo.
Claiming further, the strength and might behind the Konkani language agitation were the followers in Roman script.
“Even seven followers of Konkani in Roman script sacrificed their lives for the cause of Konkani in the agitation, and yet they were betrayed by denying the right of giving equal status to Roman script along with Devanagari,” said Carozo.
DKA also listed several attempts made by them in demanding equal status for the Roman script in the past and stated that they failed to get success, but wished the best wishes to Global Konknni Forum in their movement for the cause of Roman script.
“The statements made by political leaders that the language issue has been settled long back is false,” said Premanand Lotlikar, former president of DKA.
