Members of the Global Konkani Forum paying tributes to first Konkani martyr Late Floriano Vaz at his memorial at Gogol on his 39th death anniversary.
MARGAO
The Global Konkani Forum has observed the 39th death anniversary of the first Konkani martyr, late Floriano Vaz, with the Forum giving a call to Goans and Konkani people across the world to support its efforts to secure due recognition for the Roman script.
As Forum leaders paid tributes to late Floriano Vaz at his memorial on December 20, Forum Secretary Jose Salvador Fernandes said, “the gunshots that took the life of the first Konkani martyr, late Floriano Vaz, continue to echo in our ears and grow louder each time we pass his bust, reminding us of the grave injustice done to the Roman script in the Official Language Act.”
He said that while many present-day Goan politicians have shown little concern for Konkani, the Global Konkani Forum remains committed to working at the grassroots level and exploring all constitutional and democratic means to secure justice for the Roman script in the Official Language Act (OLA).
Recalling the 1986 Konkani language agitation and the sacrifice of Floriano Vaz, Antonio Alvares, President of the Global Konkani Forum, said it was unfortunate that grave injustice was done to the Roman script in the Official Language Act 39 years ago. He stated that the Global Konkani Forum has launched the struggle for justice to the Roman script in right earnest, keeping in mind the Goans and the Goan diaspora, whose deep cultural and linguistic roots lie in the Roman script. He added that the Forum would leave no stone unturned in its efforts to correct this injustice and that the martyrdom of Floriano Vaz continues to inspire the organisation to pursue this cause relentlessly.
Senior tiatrist and Global Konkani Forum member Anthony (San) Fernandes said that the love and dedication for Konkani in the Roman script are inherited naturally by generations of Goans, as it is an integral part of their daily lives. He noted that Roman script continues to be widely used in religious services and in writing tiatrs, even without formal Konkani education in the script. He also recalled that a large body of Konkani literature, including novels by late Reginald Fernandes and song booklets published by late Alfred Rose, was produced in the Roman script and played a crucial role in preserving the language. He appealed to people to draw inspiration from these contributors and continue using the Roman script in everyday life.
Expressing concern over the lack of historical awareness among the younger generation, Domnic Fernandes stated that it was heartening to see youth participation at the tribute programme. He emphasised that today’s generation must be made aware of who Floriano Vaz was, the history of the Konkani-Marathi language agitation of 1986.
John Miranda, another executive member, remarked that the martyrdom of Floriano Vaz not only recalls the Konkani language agitation but also reinforces the community’s identity and cultural heritage rooted in the Roman script. He added that justice to the Roman script in the Official Language Act must be granted in accordance with Article 29(1) of the Constitution of India, which guarantees every section of citizens having a distinct language, script, or culture the right to conserve the same.
