PANJIM: Asmitai Pratishthan has strongly condemned certain organisations in Maharashtra for “attempting to denigrate and insult” Konkani language.
Asmitai Pratishthan is an institution dedicated to the development of Konkani language, literature and culture.
“Labelling Konkani as a dialect and including it among Adivasi dialects is intolerable and likely to result in serious consequences,” Pratishthan President Aravind Bhatikar said in a press release issued here.
Bhatikar issued the condemnation in reference to a conference on dialects to be held in Pune on November 25 which has placed Konkani along with Adivasi dialects like Ahirani, Gondi and Zadi.
The conference is organised under the auspices of “Sahitya Ani Sanskriti Mandal” of the Government of Maharashtra and another institution.
Bhatikar said that placing Konkani along with Ahirani, Gondi and Zadi displays a sinister intention to insult Konkani language as well as Goans and all other Konkani speakers in the country.
He stated that the organisers of the conference ought to have known that Konkani was recognised by Sahitya Akademi as an independent literary language more than 43 years ago, that Konkani was made the official language of Goa more than 31 years ago and it is more than 26 years since it was included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution. “Their ignorance is not pardonable,” he maintained.
Bhatikar has also objected to an assistant professor of Goa University, who is scheduled to talk on Konkani as a dialect, for attempted denigration of Konkani which is the official language of Goa.
Bhatikar slammed the Government of Goa for being indifferent to attempts at denigration of Konkani, which he said, is the very foundation of the State of Goa.
