KONKANI Meant to Unite

KONKANI Meant to Unite
By Damodar Mauzo


Every language has different dialects. Styles differ according to the region, caste and community. Even the vocabulary varies. Every trade has its own terminology. These dialects, styles and jargon enrich a language. This is true for any language, be it a vernacular like Tamil or Bengali or English, the international language. Konkani can be no different. Yet, of late, attempts are being made by certain quarters to misguide and divide the people in the name of styles and scripts. This is highly deplorable.
All of us know the role of Goencho Saad and Sot in streamlining the composition and the orthography of Romi Konkani. It was its pioneering editor, Felicio Cardozo who laid the sound foundation of literary Romi Konkani. And who were the other contributors? Dr Manoharrai Sardesai, R V Pandit, Dr Bhikaji Ghanekar, Evagrio Jorge, Fr Moreno D’Souza, Fr Lactancio Almeida, Fr Alvaro Renato Mendes, Soter Barreto and a host of others who worked unitedly with zeal to develop literature in the language. It is true that the majority of Romi writers are Christians. But it is also true that many young Catholic writers are contributing to the Sunaparant. Therefore it is wrong to attribute a script to one particular community. Whether one writes in Devanagari or in Romi, all strive to serve their mother tongue.
Konkani-speaking people are spread over Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Goa. We all know that due to historic reasons and for the sake of convenience different scripts were adopted for writing Konkani. In Kerala, the people wrote Konkani in the Malayalam script while in Karnataka the majority write in the Kannada script and the Navayat community in the Arabic script. In Goa, both the Roman and Devanagari script are in use. Yet we are all Konkani-speaking people and would love to remain united in the cause of Konkani.
However, the recent views of Tomazinho Cardozo are lacking in balance. The demand for equal consideration for the literature produced in the Romi script is certainly justified. But asking for segregation of Romi from Devanagari is ridiculous. Holding Tiatr festival independent of drama festival is perfectly right, because Tiatr is an indigenous and independent form of drama and must be judged separately. However, when I write in the Romi script the language or the quality of writing cannot be different. It seems that Cardozo has some apprehension that Romi script writers are meted injustice while giving awards. If so, he should speak out and recommend names for a jury panel which he is comfortable with. The path he is taking could result in ‘Hundra Ragan Gharak Uzo’. The Kala Academy, Goa gives annual awards to literary works both in the Konkani and Marathi categories. Books in the Roman script are eligible and are considered for the award. These awards are treated as state awards. The academy also gives the Gomant Sharada Puroskar, a biennial lifetime achievement award, for a Goan writer of outstanding stature. Gomant Sharada Award can go to any writer of eminence irrespective of language as it is not given to the book but in consideration of the stature of the writer. Konkani writers writing in Roman script are certainly eligible for the award.
The Kala Academy has different advisory committees for different faculties including one for literature. Any demand or recommendation with respect to literature has to be evaluated by the advisory committee for the consideration of the executive committee and policy decisions are then taken by the general council. This is a procedure followed by all such bodies. Tomazinho, as a member of the executive committee, had proposed that the Academy awards be given to Romi writers by creating a third category in addition to the ones for Marathi and Konkani. The executive committee should have referred this to the advisory board for their consideration. However, the executive committee approved this proposal. When it came before the advisory board for literature for implementation, the board realising the anomaly of having two prizes for one language did not concur with the decision and hence recorded their protest. The matter then came before the general council for ratification of the EC decision. After due deliberations the council rejected the demand and rightly so. Konkani and Marathi books cannot be treated on par as both are different languages. But giving awards to books by dividing Konkani as Romi Konkani and Devanagari Konkani is highly objectionable.
Tomazinho has played yet another card that was unfair. He demanded that Gomant Sharada Award be given in three separate categories viz. Marathi, Konkani in Devanagari and Konkani in Roman script. His cynical game was to muster support for his demands from the Marathi camp as he had roped in Marathi too in this category. It seems he failed in his attempt. It is heartening to note that both these undesirable demands were rejected by the general council of the Kala Academy.
I am a Konkani writer. I am more at home with Devanagari. I also write in the Roman script. If I write in Devanagari and also publish the same in Roman script then can I claim awards in both the categories? Olivinho Gomes, Jess Fernandes and many more write in both the scripts with equal fluency. Would it be fair to claim awards in both the scripts? If a writer submits his books in both the categories and gets an award in one category then will it mean his writing in one script is good and the other is not?
Mr Cardozo certainly has every right to press for his demands. We live in a democracy. But Tomazinho seems to ignore democratic principles. He is a member of the general council of the Academy and when the decisions of the executive committee were placed before the council for ratification he had every opportunity to express himself. If Uday Bhembre has opposed the decision he has exercised his right of expression. How could one person influence the entire council? If the general council has rejected the move it is because it was convinced that the decision of the executive committee was not in the interest of the people. As a member of the council it was his duty to accept the verdict given in a democratic manner. Submitting a memorandum to the chairman of the Academy and terming the rejection as conspiracy amounts to questioning of the integrity and authority of the general council.
There are certain people who take pleasure in hitting at Uday Bhembre. Uday Bhembre is regarded as one of the most revered leaders of the Konkani movement. His selflessness and love for the land is known to one and all. He has championed the cause of Konkani in the face of strong opposition. His tirade against the policies and designs of the Maharashtrawadis has helped Goans retain their identity. His forceful and persuasive arguments have contributed immensely to the recognition to Konkani at all levels. His rational way of thinking and secular approach to Goan issues has often saved Goa from falling prey to the expansionist and divisive designs of Goa’s enemies. Even his archrivals never question his honesty and integrity.
Personally, I have a high regard for Udaybab because of his relentless efforts to selflessly serve the interests of Goan society. Until recently, I considered Tomazinho Cardozo as a champion of Konkani. But he seems to be reducing himself to being a champion of the Roman script Konkani. It is perfectly all right to be a protagonist of one script. But is it necessary to denigrate the others? Whom does he call the Devanagari fanatics? One thing has to be made clear. Devanagari has not been thrust upon Roman script writers. Tomazinho seems to be ignorant of history. Way back in 1962 when the Vijaya Muley Commission visited the just liberated Goa to study the language situation in Goa it received representations from different quarters. The most vocal opinion in favour of Konkani in Devanagari was a group of Catholic priests. Similarly the same year the first ever set of text books for Konkani was prepared by Dr Manoharrai Sardesai in both the scripts presuming that Catholic schools would prefer the Roman script. However, the move met with strong opposition in favour of Devanagari from the academicians and priests that included Fr Cruz Fernandes, Fr Carmo D’Silva and Fr Moreno D’Souza who believed that no attempt should be made to divide the people. Script has never been a dividing factor, though the protagonists of Marathi did try to segregate the two factions. We were fortunate that we had farsighted stalwarts to lead us. It is sad that the script issue is being blown out of proportion by some people for petty gains. The damage that is being done to the cause of Konkani is immense. Dividing the language in the name of the scripts is neither in the interests of the people nor will it serve Roman script writing. It will only lead to communal disharmony and hatred for one another.
There is more than meets the eye in this mud-slinging tirade against upright persons of unimpeachable integrity. There is a sinister similarity to earlier campaigns by communal elements, which had unsuccessfully sought to destroy Konkani and the Goan identity. An old war stratagem is – What cannot be destroyed by external forces can be made to succumb by suborning it from inside. It would be proper if Tomazinho and his like-minded group pauses a while and not allow themselves to be used as cat’s paws. Otherwise, the fate of the language which countless Goans regard as sacred will be bleak.
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