Another month, another year. August 20 is here. On this day we pay tributes to commemorate when Konkani entered the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. But beyond celebrations, we could consider how things actually stand.
The more interesting question is not simply “What problems does Konkani have?” but “What do we routinely mistake for the problems of Konkani?” This is an attempt to understand some of those....
“Konkani has an unfortunate history.” It is often argued that the Portuguese suppressed Konkani. The 1684 ban on Konkani is repeatedly pointed to. Yet, it is also true that the Portuguese brought printing early to Goa, scholars did pioneering work in Konkani, and preserved so many documents and texts which still keep emerging. Instead of outright discrimination, Konkani has faced (not just under the Portuguese) its long interruption as a language of formal education, administration, publishing and upward mobility.
“Konkani is divided because it has several scripts.” Multiple scripts can be a challenge, but need not be fundamental problem. Languages work with diverse scripts too. The deeper issue is institutional recognition, unequal access to education and publishing for diverse scripts. The Feb 1987 Goa law makes Devanagari Konkani the official language, which Roman Konkani has no official status.
“Konkani is divided into too many dialects.” We should worry about whether institutions turn dialect differences into hierarchies. Where one gets treated as “standard” and others dismissed as inferior, provincial, comical or even less genuine Konkani.
“The problem is that Konkani lacks literature." In fact, Konkani has substantial oral and written traditions; Romi Konkani has a long literary tradition. The question is: Which literature gets institutional visibility, prizes, teaching opportunities, cataloguing and transmission?
“Written Konkani is the real Konkani; spoken Konkani is merely dialect.” As scholars note, spoken language is the foundation; writing is the tool for recording and transmitting it. A language can thrive even if its written ecosystem is weak.
“If people speak Konkani, the language is healthy.” Not necessarily. What's important is how the language gets transmitted across generations, literacy, in which domains it gets used and conferred prestige. A language can remain widely spoken but lose out in education, administration, technology, professional life and sophisticated conversation.
“English is killing Konkani.” Yes, English is hugely dominant. But, for many Goans, it is their passport to education, employment, mobility and modernity. Instead of just opposing English, is it possible to make Konkani capable of functioning alongside it?
“Marathi is the main threat to Konkani.” Like all neighbours, Marathi and Konkani have had rivalries. Goans routinely move between several languages as per context. Konkani needs to retain important "domains of use" in that multilingual environment.
"The 1987 Official Language Act solved the language question.” Last-minute politicking brought down the curtains on a bitter battle; it also made easy the way for Konkani to enter the Eighth Schedule. Yet, it failed to make Konkani genuinely functional across administration, education, publishing, technology and public life.
“Making Devanagari official automatically strengthens Konkani.” — A script can facilitate standardisation, but script recognition doesn't amount to language development. If that script has weak readership, limited publishing, poor digital resources or inadequate use in government, it could make things worse.
“Romi Konkani is a separate linguistic problem.” — Yet all are part of the language's history and present reality. So, can the Konkani community accommodate that inheritance, instead of jostling for linguistic legitimacy over scripts?
“Konkani's problem is that young people don't want to learn it.” This puts the burden on the young. What incentives have adults and institutions been created for using Konkani? Compulsion won't take that forward.
“Teaching Konkani in primary school is enough.” — Primary education is important, but if Konkani continues to be absent from from secondary education, higher education, science, technology and professional life, it won't work.
“The problem is insufficient government funding.” — Funding matters. Money can create books, seminars and commemorations without producing readers, everyday users or new domains of use.
“We meed more literature.” This is important; but a language survives through ordinary functional use. What is important is talking to children, writing emails, making advertisements, using software, conducting business, creating podcasts, making films, the social media and communicating with government.
“Konkani needs one perfect standard before it can develop.” This can become a trap. Standardisation should serve communication, not become a precondition for development. Languages develop standards while continuing to accommodate regional and social variation. English is the best example of how this has been done.
“The problem is primarily linguistic.” — It is also sociological and institutional: About prestige, class, education, employment, migration, urbanisation, family language choices. Grammar or vocabulary isn't always the issue.
“Konkani is a Goa-only language.” Or "Konkani is the only language of Goa" This overlooks the diversity we live with, and the spread of Konkani far along the west coast.
“The language will survive because it is constitutionally recognised.” — Official status offers protection, not language vitality. The test is how people use the language. Technology and the social media have helped, but are we doing enough?
“The biggest threat is that Konkani will disappear.” Konkani could also become less capable of expressing the full range of contemporary life. Language impoverishment and domain loss are equal threats.
Konkani's central problem is not that it has too many scripts, dialects or a complicated history. Its issue is that an enormous vitality has never been matched by a broad, prestigious status and institutionally supported use.
Don't ask “Which Konkani is the real Konkani?” Instead, let's worry over “How do we make every form of Konkani more useful, visible, prestigious and transmissible?”
