GRLA, GKF slam opposition to Romi Konkani in schools

Members of the Global Romi Lipi Abhiyan address the media on Thursday.

MARGAO

The Global Romi Lipi Abhiyan (GRLA) and the Global Konknni Forum (GKF) have strongly criticised the Konknni Bhasha Mandal (KBM) and the All India Konknni Parishad (AIKP) for urging legislators not to support a Private Members’ Resolution that proposes introducing Romi (Roman script) Konknni in Goa’s schools.

GRLA President Kennedy Afonso called the opposition “communal” and accused the organisations of issuing threats without valid reasoning.

“The government should not fall prey to these empty threats, as they have not given any valid reasons why Romi should not be introduced into schools in Goa, except for the fact that children will be made to sit in different classes, thus communalising the issue,” he said.

Afonso argued that forcing students to learn only in Devanagari script is discriminatory. “Depriving the minority community for the last 37 years of studying in their own Romi script, and compelling them to forcefully study Devanagari, was communal in nature,” he said. “Our children are already compelled to sit in two different classes when they reach the 7th Std, as they abandon Devanagari and choose French or Portuguese because they find Devanagari difficult to study.”

He added that allowing script options would foster unity. “By giving an option, children from both communities have the flexibility to choose the script they would prefer, rather than forcefully enforcing Devanagari down their throat,” he said.

The GRLA maintained that introducing Romi Konknni would promote linguistic diversity and harmony. “Failure to pass the resolution will only prove that the government is communal and has no respect for the constitutional rights of the Minorities,” Afonso warned.

Meanwhile, GKF secretary Salvador Fernandes challenged KBM and AIKP to proceed with their proposed state-wide agitation if the resolution is passed. “For years, they have objected to anything that would strengthen Konkani in Roman script,” he said.

He accused AIKP of being run by “Devanagari fanatics and manipulators” and criticised its attempts to impose Devanagari in Karnataka schools. “AIKP believes in Hitler’s ideology of ‘One script, one language, one culture and one community’, which is against the principle of ‘Unity in Diversity’,” he added.

The GKF urged the Chief Minister and all MLAs to support the resolution and ensure the preservation of Konkani in Roman script.