MARGAO: With Assembly elections just days away, one of the much-discussed and controversial issues pertaining to the Official Language Act and its scripts has arisen again, as there are demand for equal statues for Konkani Roman script and strong objections to any amendments to the Act.
In a memorandum submitted to the political parties, Konkani Bhasha Mandal has urged them not to tamper with the Official Language Act in this regard, while a month earlier another memorandum had been submitted by a delegation of All Associations of Roman Script Konkani, to all the political parties demanding that Konkani in the Roman script be accorded official language status.
Interacting with leaders of both the groups – supporters of the Roman and Devanagari scripts – Herald found that both are firm as they defended their demands with reasonable arguments.
Speaking to Herald, Fausto V Da Costa, Editor of ‘Gulab’ (Roman Konkani) magazine and part of the All Associations of Roman Script Konkani delegation said that they are asking for an amendment to the Official Language Act 1987, because an injustice was committed by including the clause: ‘Konkani means Konkani language written in Devanagari script’.
“We are asking for justice not to all the five scripts of Konkani but to Konkani in particular. The Act is for the language, not for its scripts,” he stated.
He added that whenever they fought for Konkani they used Konkani as a weapon, not its scripts. Besides, to get Konkani language its rightful place and to attain its recognition at different stages, the centuries old vast literature available in the Roman script Konkani was utilised.
“Hence after the victory, if recognising only one script is not a treachery than what is it? Since we won the victory for a language, why should any one particular script feature in the Act?” he questioned.
Da Costa agreed that there can be hurdles as far as the official use for writing of the language, education is concerned but added that these problems can be sorted out amicably and with each other’s consent and understanding.
“The present Act specifying the script is not only damaging Konkani, but may end up murdering rich and diverse cultures and traditions belonging to the diverse scripts of the language and disturb the communal harmony of the people of the State. Hence the Official Language Act 1987 needs an immediate amendment,” he said.
Tomazinho Cardozo, senior Konkani writer, and former Speaker of Goa Assembly also feels that Konkani written in the Roman script needs justice for the improvement of Konkani as a whole, and for the survival of the language.
“The supporters of Devanagari script have denied the due recognition for Roman script, and because of their leaders, Roman script failed to find place in the Official Language Act,” he said.
He added that an injustice was done to the Roman script community by denying the script due place and importance in the Act.
Cardozo feels that inclusion of Roman script in the Act will help the Konkani language in general to develop further and also for its survival.
“Konkani language will never grow or survive in Goa without the Roman script,” he argued.
Vincy Quadros, Dalgado Konkani Academy president (an organization working towards the development of Roman script) questioned what is the harm in giving equal status to the Roman script in the Act?
“If the other group don’t want the Roman script to be included in the Act, then they should give due importance to the Roman script which is used by a large number of people in Goa in all aspects. They should work together with the Roman script community,” he stated.
On the other hand members of other groups, including the Konkani Bhasha Mandal (KBM) defended their demand submitted to the political parties urging them not to tamper with the Official Language Act.
“We request that the Official Language Act should not be altered or tampered with in any regard. This Act was brought into action after enough discussion and debate and it was arrived at after great thought and conviction for the cause of protecting the State language, therefore it would not be advisable to tamper with the existing law,” Anwesh Singbal, president of KBM in the memorandum stated in the manifesto.
Anat Agni, Principal of Ravindra Kelekar Gnan Mandir School, run by KBM said that they have no objection to Konkani in the Roman script except at the administrative and educational level.
“Inclusion of Konkani in Roman script in the Official Language Act and in education will lead to creation of other issues. It is not the issue pertaining to script but language as a whole,” he stated.
He added that there is a sizable population of Roman script users in Goa and it needs to be developed.
Agreeing, Chetan Acharya, former President of KBM said that he stands by the view that the Act should not be amended in this regard.
“An attempt to include the Roman script in the Act will lead to another agitation amongst the Konkani loving people. We have sympathy towards the Roman script, besides other scripts of Konkani, but at the same time inclusion of the Roman script in the Act based on the religion is not acceptable,” he stated.
He further said that the government should give grants to the Roman script at the academy level, as it is the duty of the government to do so, but equal status to the Roman script will surely lead to a split in the Konkani community.
“We need to move forward with Konkani as a one unit and one community,” Acharya said.
