PANAJI
A delegation of ‘All Associations of Roman Script Konkani’ led by Konkani leader and former Speaker of the Goa Assembly Tomazinho Cardozo and tiatrist Premanand Lotlikar, ex-president of Dalgado Konknni Akademi (DKA) presented a memorandum to all the leaders of political parties in the State asking them to include their demand to accord equal status to Konkani in the Roman script by making a suitable amendment in the Goa Official Language Act, 1987.
The memorandum, signed by 15 associations and Trusts of Roman script Konkani, was submitted to Sadanand Shet Tanavade, president BJP (Goa), Vijay Sardessai, president, Goa Forward Party, Luizinho Faleiro, vice-president of TMC, Girish Chodankar, president Congress, Goa, Sudin Dhavalikar, leader MGP, Teotonio D’Costa, South Goa leader of Revolutionary Goans, Valmiki Naik leader AAP, Goa and Churchill Alemão, MLA, Benaulim.
The delegation briefed these leaders about the crucial role played by the people of Goa in the Konkani movement, those who have traditionally been writing their mother tongue Konkani in the Roman script. It also recounted the support extended by this section of Goans during the Opinion Poll and the Language agitation and the sacrifices they made. It also recollected how the earlier period of vast literature available in Roman script Konkani was utilised to attain recognition to Konkani language at different stages.
Tomazinho Cardozo recalled that to make Konkani the official language of Goa, never was a word uttered about Devnagri script in the countless meetings that were held all over Goa and that introducing a ‘definition of Konkani’ which states that ‘Konkani means Konkani language written in the Devanagari script’ in the Act was a injustice to the people of Goa who have traditionally been writing their mother tongue Konkani in the Roman script. Today, there are umpteen associations of Goans all over the world which make use of Konkani in the roman script. Besides, Konkani in the roman script is cyberspace friendly and is vastly used by many Konkani social media groups, pointed out the delegation.
In the present Goa Official Language Act, 1987, Section 2. (c) reads “Konkani means Konkani language written in Devnagri script”. Hence Section 2 (c) needs to be amended as “Konkani language means Konkani language written in Devanagari and Roman scripts” demanded the delegation.
