MARGAO
Ahead of the two-day All India Konkani Parishad organised by the Sahitya Akademi at the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao during the weekend, the Global Konknni Forum on Wednesday posed a volley of questions to the convenor of the Parishad Dr Mousinho Ataide, demanding his stand on issues centred on the Konkani scripts.
While wishing Fr Ataide well, Global Konknni Forum president Kennedy Afonso, however, demanded to know from Fr Ataide how does the Sahitya Akademi justified the exclusion of four other Scripts for official recognition, despite their historical and cultural significance. Or make public the criteria used by the Konkani Advisory Board, to nominate Devnagri as the sole official script of Konknni?
Saying that by passing Roman Script in the Official Language Act violates Article 29 (1) as it goes against constitutional fundamental minority rights, Kennedy questioned how does Fr Ataide justify this injustice to his minority community, which uses Roman script in all walks of life.
“The Bible which was translated to Devnagari, let Fr. Mousinho Ataide tell the Sahitya Akademi, how many people are able to read it in Devnagari in Goa? If Fr. Mousin believes that Devnagari is the script used by his minority community, we dare him to make a public statement in the Parishad, and direct his superiors in the Church to replace the Bible in Devnagari, in all churches in Goa”, Kennedy asserted.
Saying the Konkani Parishad has appointed Fr. Mousinho Ataide as the new President of the Parishad, probably to fire a gun from his shoulders at the Romi Lobby, Kennedy said the Devnagiri lobby had used this technique over the years.
“It used the Minority Catholic community to fight the battle of Konkani, but in the end cheated them. In 1981, they put Fr Antonio Pereira, on the Konkani Advisory Committee, and passed the resolution saying that Devnagari is the sole Official Script of Konknni bypassing four other Scripts of Konknni”, he said.
Saying the Official Language Act has nothing to do with the introduction of Konkani in Roman Script in schools, Kennedy questioned why does Fr. Mousinho Athaide and the Devnagari lobby oppose the introduction of Roman Script Konkani in schools.
“Is it the intention to choke and kill the script completely, so that only Devnagiri may survive? If not, then let the All India Konkani Parishad issue a statement, that it has no objection to introducing Roman script Konkani in schools,” he added.
