Team Herald
MARGAO: The Global Konknni Forum (GKF), as part of its “Amdharak bhett– Kodel zaivo Romi lipi zai” programme, met Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral at his office on Saturday to seek his support for the Roman Script cause.
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GKF members presented two Bills to be introduced in the Legislative Assembly in favour of the Roman Script Konkani, urging other legislators to back the cause.
Kennedy Afonso, President of GKF, explained that the first Bill seeks to give Roman Script Konkani equal status with Devanagari by amending the Official Language Act (OLA) of 1987. This amendment would include Roman Script Konkani alongside Devanagari in the definition of Konkani. The second Bill calls for the phased introduction of Roman Script Konkani in schools, from Classes 1 to 10.
MLA Nilesh Cabral listened attentively and assured the GKF delegation that he would support the issue in the Assembly, not just because it is a minority issue but because of the principles outlined in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
According to GKF, Cabral pointed out that when Konkani was included in the Eighth Schedule in 1992, there was no mention of an official script, as it was understood that Konkani is written in five scripts. Therefore, to favour one script over the others would be against the spirit of the Constitution.
Cabral said that Roman Script, which is widely used in Goa, deserves its rightful place in the Official Language Act, and its introduction into schools will enable the younger generation to learn Konkani in a script of their choice. While he was unsure why only Devanagari was recognised in the OLA in 1987, he committed to raising the issue during the upcoming Assembly session in February 2025.
In response, GKF plans to intensify its movement by meeting with remaining MLAs before the next session. The forum aims for all MLAs to unite and discuss the legislation to grant Roman Script equal status by amending the OLA.
“We urge all MLAs to raise relevant LAQ questions pertaining to the Roman Script issue and be ready to present the case, citing Articles 14 and 29(1) of the Indian Constitution,” Afonso stated.
