PANAJI
Chairman of Fomento Group, Auduth Timblo said while I speak five languages fluently, Konkani has always been my mother tongue.
“Speaking at the concluding ceremony of All-India Konkani Parishad in Margao, Timblo stated that knowing multiple languages is a privilege and a great exercise for the brain. “We need to encourage more people to speak Konkani so that the language can grow and thrive," he said.
Speaking further, he said learning more languages should not be an issue but let the roots of Konkani be strong and deep. Goa is a magnet and people from all over India come here for various reasons.
“The State should ensure that the migrant population living here learns Konkani as well. If more people speak Konkani, the current population of about 30 lakh speakers could eventually double. This could lead to the emergence of scholars in Konkani over the next 50 years. To make this a reality, a legislative process should be established," Timblo advocated.
He further asserted that just learning the language should not suffice, but to evaluate it, there should be a series of exams from time to time to test the knowledge, and this should continue lifelong. The IAS officers posted in Goa should learn to communicate in Konkani, as in other States like Maharashtra.
Pointing out that Konkani has many variants, from Pernem to Canacona and from Malvan to Mangaluru, Timblo appealed that one must embrace all these variants and let the language live and grow.
