Members of the Global Konknni Forum during an awareness meeting on the movement seeking justice for Roman script in the Official Language Act.
MARGAO
The Global Konknni Forum (GKF) organised an awareness meeting at St Theresa Church Hall, Chaudi-Canacona, with the aim of reaching people at the grassroots level and strengthening the movement for justice to the Roman script in the Official Language Act (OLA).
GKF Secretary Jose Salvador Fernandes, addressing the gathering, said that for the past 37 years, Konkani in Goa has suffered grave injustice due to the exclusion of the Roman script from the OLA. He cautioned that unless equal status is granted at the earliest, the damage caused to the language may deepen further.
He stressed that language is not merely a medium of communication but a pillar of cultural continuity, unity and identity. The Roman script, he said, carries the unique cultural heritage of a community that has nurtured and promoted Konkani for decades. “The Roman script cannot be allowed to fade away because of the OLA,” he asserted.
Speaking on GKF’s second demand — the introduction of the Roman script in school education — Fernandes highlighted that such a step is crucial for cultural, linguistic and practical reasons and would help preserve both the language and its rich heritage. Hence, GKF is demanding the introduction of the Roman script in schools.
In his presidential address, GKF President Antonio Alvares noted that the harmful effects of the controversial OLA were not immediately visible in 1987, but are now evident. He said that it is precisely to address this long-standing injustice that the Global Konknni Forum was formed.
Alvares pointed out that while the Government provides grants to the Dalgado Konknni Akademi (DKA), this cannot be used as a justification to overlook or suppress the rightful demand for justice to the Roman script. He reaffirmed that GKF’s movement is backed by Article 29(1) of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees every linguistic and cultural group the right to protect, preserve and promote its language, script and culture.
He also appreciated the youth present at the meeting and encouraged many more to join the movement, strengthening the campaign for the rightful recognition of the Roman script in the OLA and in school education.
Veteran Konkani activist, writer, poet and journalist Manuel Fernandes expressed deep concern over the decades of injustice faced by the Roman script under the OLA. He reminded participants that before 1987, the Roman script played a leading role in the development of Konkani across linguistic, cultural and religious fields — achievements that remain unmatched in the Devanagari script even today. He firmly stated that including the Roman script in the OLA is essential to correct this historical wrong.
Earlier, Parish Priest Fr Socorro Colaco welcomed the gathering. GKF Executive Member Vivek C Pereira proposed the vote of thanks.
