Team Herald
MARGAO: As the debate over the script issue intensifies, with Devanagari supporters resisting the demands of those favouring the Roman script, several village panchayats across Goa are passing resolutions in support of the Roman script.
The latest to join the movement is the village panchayat of Colva, bringing the total to 51 panchayats that have passed resolutions in their gram sabhas demanding equal status for the Roman script.
Reports indicate that several other panchayats are also preparing to introduce similar resolutions.
At the recently concluded All India Konkani Parishad, Devanagari supporters and their leaders firmly opposed the demands made by the Global Konknni Forum (GKF) for equal status for the Roman script in the Official Language Act and its introduction in schools.
Reacting to the resolutions passed by the gram sabhas, Jose Salvador Fernandes, Secretary of the GKF said that these resolutions demonstrate clear support for the Roman script in Konkani, indicating that it has garnered more backing than the Devanagari script.
He emphasised, “It shows that the people of Goa still want and support Konkani in the Roman script. However, the level of support we see for the Romi script is not same for Devanagari. The Devanagari script is sustained by government support rather than backing from the community.”
He further said that the recent resolution at the All India Konkani Parishad, which demands that Konkani be taught up to the 12th standard, stems from a fear that the Roman script will be introduced in schools.
“It’s straightforward: the push for teaching Konkani at this level should have emerged much earlier. They are now reacting out of concern for the Roman script’s inclusion in education. While Konkani in the Devanagari script is considered safe due to its mention in the Official Language Act, Konkani in the Roman script continues to thrive despite lacking full government support,” Fernandes remarked.
Rosario Fernandes, a supporter of the Roman script, emphasised that people are not naive when it comes to passing resolutions at the gram sabhas.
“These resolutions reflect the voices of those who genuinely want Konkani in the Roman script to flourish and be protected. The reality is that a significant number of Goans actively use Konkani in the Roman script,” he asserted.