Fr Pratap Naik says Devanagri was artificial creation of ‘bamonn’ community
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: A section of Romi Konknni proponents under the banner of the Romi Konknni Andolan has come together with the Marathi Rajbhasha Andolan to demand the rightful place to both Marathi as well as Konkani, written not just in the Devanagri script, but Romi, within the Official Language Act.
The two organizations blamed the ‘bamonns’ (Brahmins) for cheating the two real languages of Goa that are actually used widely.
Addressing media persons, Fr Pratap Naik convenor and spokesperson of the RKA said that the Devanagri Konknni was an artificial creation of the bamonn community through their manipulative methods in the year 1987.
“Devanagri Konkani was created in the 20th century by Vaman Varde Valavlikar popularly known as Shenoi Goembab who lived and died in Mumbai. And who himself wrote his first 12 books in Romi Konknni. In 1981 they convinced the Sahitya Akademi to accept the Devanagri script as the only official script of Konkani. They did this to have their sole control in the literary education, cultural, social and later on in the administrative fields,” Fr Naik, who claimed to speak on behalf of the Catholic community in Goa, said.
He further said that in Goa while everybody speaks Konknni for official and religious purposes only Marathi is used predominantly by Hindus while Romi Konknni is used predominantly by Catholics.
“The Hindu Bahujan Samaj and the Catholics have been suppressed,” he said adding that Devanagri Konknni has not been accepted anywhere as for all practical purposes either Marathi or Romi Konknni was used making the state’s official language the least used language in the state.
“Though Devanagri Konknni lacks popularity and support of the people, it has been forced on Goans as the official language. It has created division, intellectual vacuum and harm in every area of life of Goans… the social unity of Goa is shattered and stunted,” he said adding that it has been rejected at all levels by the majority of the Goan community even 27 years after it was made the official language.
They have now demanded that the government and the opposition support and pass a new bill that Romi Konknni and Marathi be made the official languages of Goa. They want that the bill be passed before the Lok Sabha elections.
“If the just demand of the MRA and the RKA is not fulfilled at the earliest then the agitation will continue throughout Goa and it will have unprecedented
political implications both for parliamentary elections and Goa Assembly elections,” Pradeep Amonkar of the
MRA said.
