MAPUSA
In a unified voice, Aldona villagers on Sunday demanded equal status for Konkani written in Roman script, calling for its recognition in the Official Language Act alongside the Devnagiri script.
This demand was made during a gram sabha meeting where the Goa Tourism Promotion Management Bill, 2023, was also unanimously rejected, with villagers urging the government to reconsider and consult experts on the bill.
The call for the recognition of the Roman script was passionately articulated by locals. One villager emphasized that while Konkani is recognized as Goa's official language, those who write in Roman script have faced significant injustice.
“We want the Roman script to be recognized alongside the Devnagiri script,” the villager stated.
Support for this demand was echoed by another resident, who highlighted the efforts of the Global Konkani Forum in raising awareness about the issue.
“We need to give official recognition to the Roman script and therefore we need to pass this resolution,” he said.
Salvador Fernandes, a member of the Aldona panchayat, noted that for the past 37 years, the Roman script has lacked the necessary recognition, which prompted the Global Konkani Forum to take up the cause.
Aldona Sarpanch, Ashwin D’Souza, supported this sentiment, arguing that recognizing the Roman script in the Official Language Act would eliminate discrimination without affecting anyone negatively.
In addition to the language issue, the villagers unitedly opposed the Goa Tourism Promotion Management Bill, 2023.
They stressed the importance of involving all stakeholders in discussions about the bill, particularly those from marginalized communities.
A local resident underscored the need for the government to engage with experts and ensure comprehensive consultations with all concerned parties.
The panchayat meeting also saw the approval of the annual report and the passage of the 2024-25 budget, indicating the community’s commitment to addressing local governance issues while pushing for broader policy changes.
The villagers' dual demands”recognition of the Roman script for Konkani and a re-evaluation of the tourism bill”highlight their active engagement in shaping policies that impact their linguistic and cultural heritage, as well as their socio-economic well-being.
