THE GOAN NETWORK
MAPUSA
The Global Konknni Forum (GKF) President Kennedy Afonso has stated that Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira has pledged full support to the ongoing campaign for the recognition of Konkani in the Roman script.
Ferreira expressed his commitment to advocating for the protection of Roman script Konkani, stating that the minority community’s demand is fair and rooted in their fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution of India, stated Afonso in a press statement.
Ferreira highlighted that the Official Language Act of 1987, which currently recognises only Konkani in the Devnagari script, has led to script-based discrimination.
He stressed that the GKF is not opposing the inclusion of Devnagari or Marathi but is simply seeking the protection of the rights of Goa's religious and linguistic minorities, as per Article 29 (1) of the Constitution, Afonso said.
During a meeting with GKF members, Afonso stated that Ferreira assured to work towards introducing a resolution in the Goa Legislative Assembly to include Konkani in the Roman script within legal frameworks.
He committed to discussing the matter with “both opposition and ruling MLAs to garner support for the resolution and called on the public to back the movement, led by the Global Konknni Forum.”
“In the event that the issue is not resolved in the Assembly, Ferreira said he would consider legal options and explore taking the matter to court as a last resort,” stated Afonso.
Afonso added that the GKF has already submitted two proposed bills to Ferreira, aimed at advancing the Roman script cause.
“The first bill seeks to amend the Official Language Act to include Konkani in the Roman script alongside Devnagari. The second bill proposes the phased introduction of Konkani in the Roman script in schools, from 1st to 10th standard,” stated Afonso.
