Pune (Poona of the bygone days) takes pride in having the first-ever Konkani magazine published in 1889. Many years later, various Konkani periodicals were getting published in other places like Mumbai, Mangalore, Karachi and Goa.
The name of this Konkani journal was ‘Udentechem Sallok’ (The Lotus of the East) and it was published on February 2, 1889. Its editor was Eduardo Jose Bruno De Souza. Other Konkani periodicals started much later like ‘Sanjenchem Neketr’ (1907) from Mumbai, ‘Rotti’ (1914) from Karachi, Ave Maria (1919), The Goa Mail (1919), The Goa Times (1930), ‘Vaurddeancho Ixtt’ (1933), ‘Udenteche Neketr’ (1946) and many others. But undoubtedly, the torch-bearer for Konkani journalism was Eduardo Jose Bruno De Souza.
In Goa, the Konkani language was not only discouraged but rather banned by both State and Ecclesial authorities. In 1684, for the first time, the Portuguese Viceroy Conde da Alvor issued a strong edict banning the use of Konkani by the local converts. Prior to that, several Konkani books were printed from Goa, notably among them, “Kristapuran” by Fr Thomas Stephens SJ. Even the foreign missionaries had to learn Konkani on arrival.
However, to minimise the influence of Konkani on neo-converts, harsh measures were undertaken. From time to time, both Archbishop and the Government issued various dictates banning Konkani. With these restrictions, the upper echelon of society moved away from their mother tongue. The Konkani language lost its glory and fame and remained restricted to the kitchen, to be spoken with the cooks and orderlies.
The things started moving slowly and favourably when the Portuguese Secretary General Dr Joaquim Heliodoro da Cunha Rivara arrived in Goa circa 1856. He was a great scholar, historian and lover of the Konkani language. He valued its great literary heritage and its oriental cultural richness. He was pained by its neglect by the Goans. Dr Cunha Rivara not only encouraged but ignited the Goan youth to take up the task to revive their mother tongue. Taking fillip from this, many youth like Eduardo Jose Bruno De Souza moved forward to serve Konkani.
Eduardo Jose Bruno De Souza was born in Assonora village of Bardez on October 7, 1836. He was a bright student and enrolled on priestly studies at Rachol seminary. He did not complete religious studies. He had mastery over Portuguese, Konkani and English, besides other Indian languages. He was fired with a zeal to rejuvenate Konkani. He moved to Pune for employment and joined ‘Photo Zinco’, a Government Printing Press in 1888.
Eduardo Jose published this periodical ‘Udentechem Sallok’ on February 2, 1889, from Pune. Initially, it was monthly and very soon it was fortnightly and weekly. The extract from its first editorial in Konkani and its English translation is produced below:
“Zoxem eka arxea sarkea tollea mazar ek borem sallok fulta , ani aplea sorbhonvtim domdom ghalta, toxem amchea loka modem aiz ugota hem Udentechem Sallok, hi khobor dubava vinnem amkam zavnk zai vhodd sontosachi. Konn sangum dita kitlea upkarak poddot tem vo hea Udentichea Sallkacho khoim pormoll pavot tor, zor tor ami amchea hatant asa tem korun taka mozot dit zalear. Sangata vinnem monxachean vanchum nozo, ani ekvottavinnnem ek sangat fuddem sorum nozo, punn zanv sangat, zanv ekvott, bhaxe vinnem kedinch vosum nozo.”
(As on a lake limpid like a mirror blooms a beautiful lotus and spreads its fragrance around, so does this Lotus of the East rise in the midst of our people. This news is undoubtedly of great joy to us. Who can tell of what use it will be, where the fragrance of the Lotus will reach, if we do what is in our power to do! Man cannot live without companionship and no companionship can flourish without language.)
Eduardo Jose contributed to various fields of Konkani literature like prose, poetry, and grammar. He wrote a Konkani novel ‘Kristavn Ghorabo’ in 1891. In the following year, he penned an epic named ‘Eva Ani Morie’. This Konkani epic had 1001 verses depicting the story of the first woman ‘Eve’ and ‘Mary’ the mother of Jesus.
He also published the Konkani grammar. He contributed many articles in Portuguese, particularly for “O Heraldo” of Panjim. He breathed his last on December 5, 1905. Pune takes pride in Eduardo Jose Bruno De Souza and his immense contribution to Konkani literature.
