Team Herald
MARGAO: In response to demands for the All-India Konkani Parishad to endorse equal status for the Roman script, the Parishad's President, Fr Mousinho Ataide, stated that amending the Official Language Act to accommodate this demand is currently not feasible.
Addressing attendees at the 33rd All India Konkani Parishad in Margao, Fr Ataide remarked that the educational framework should not be altered by the ongoing script debate. On Friday, the Global Konknni Forum (GKF) had challenged him to openly declare that the Parishad does not oppose granting equal status to the Roman script or introducing it at the educational level, if genuine dialogue was sought on the issue.
Fr. Ataide remarked that some tiatrists have written songs proclaiming their identity as Goans, suggesting that they already know Konkani and, by implication, may not need further instruction in the language. He criticised this stance, describing it as a form of ignorance, and expressed sympathy for artists holding such views.
He further advocated for the freedom to write in any script without discrimination, supporting equal access to resources and awards.
Fr Ataide highlighted the historical struggle for Konkani's official status, achieved with Devanagari as its script, noting that a change now would be impractical. He cautioned against fuelling instability over issues that do not benefit the broader community and mentioned that script debates were absent during the original Konkani agitation.
He also noted that Roman script supporters frequently raise concerns whenever facilities are announced for Konkani. Additionally, he pointed to a Portuguese association actively promoting Portuguese as a secondary language over Konkani in Goan schools.
Fr Ataide expressed that all Konkani speakers should engage with literature across various scripts, including Roman, Kannada, and Devanagari, fostering greater appreciation and unity within the Konkani-speaking community.