Team Herald
MARGAO: Global Romi Lipi Abhiyan has called for unity among all Konknni Scripts Associations, emphasising that such a collective effort will exert greater pressure on the Sahitya Akademi and the Goa government. The appeal was made on the occasion of the 38th anniversary of the Official Language Act, with the organisation reiterating that recognition for Roman Script Konknni in the Act is possible if key Konknni associations, including the Dalgado Konknni Academy, Tiatr Academy, and Tiatristamchi Sounstha, collaborate with the Global Romi Lipi Abhiyan and other script associations to take the movement to the people of Goa in a
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significant way.
The organisation pointed out that while Konknni associations in Karnataka, such as Mandd Sobhann, Poetica, and Karnataka Konknni Lekakancho Sangh, have already expressed their willingness to join forces with their Goan counterparts, similar cooperation is still lacking within Goa. They stressed that if uniting organisations outside the State for the cause of Roman script Konknni is possible, there is no reason why Goan associations cannot come together as well. The Global Romi Lipi Abhiyan reaffirmed its commitment to working alongside all like-minded associations to push this movement toward its logical
conclusion.
As part of its broader strategy, the organisation emphasised the need to consolidate efforts and rally both opposition and ruling legislators to support Roman script Konknni in the Goa Legislative Assembly. They outlined four key demands for the forthcoming Assembly session: amending the Official Language Act to include Romi script alongside Devanagari, introducing Romi Konknni in schools, appointing a Goa State Minority Commission, and ensuring that Goa Staff Commission examinations are conducted in both Romi and Devanagari scripts to enable fair selection of candidates for government jobs.
Highlighting the significance of uniting all Konknni script associations, the Global Romi Lipi Abhiyan announced plans to organise an All India Konknni Maha Sabha. This initiative aims to bring together representatives of all five Konknni scripts for a structured dialogue and to create sufficient pressure on the Sahitya Akademi to reconsider its “one language, one script” policy.
The organisation asserted that Konknni, with its five distinct and vibrant scripts, should not be restricted by a singular approach. Instead, the Sahitya Akademi should ensure that literature in all Konknni scripts receives equal support rather than favoring one over the others.
Kennedy Afonso, President of the Global Romi Lipi Abhiyan, underscored the importance of unity in this effort, stressing that coordinated action by all stakeholders is essential for achieving the long-overdue recognition of Roman script Konknni.
