Roman-Kannada script Konkani unity upsets the casteists.

Bosco e Sousa Eremita

[TGF foreword: Please read  the Original Apartheid - The Horrible Caste System  of India. A reading of this article is essential to comprehend How the Casteists continue to suppress not only those who they (the casteists) see as "beneath" them, but also those who stand up against the caste system and its apologists.]

The potential unification of Konkani lovers in Roman and Kannada  scripts has triggered a wave of panic amongst the Devanagari lobby in Goa, fearing erosion of the latter's clout should Roman script be granted equal status on par with Devanagari. According to reports reaching here, Karnataka has refused to accept Devanagari script in Konkani and have demanded that  Kannada script be utilized to teach Konkani at the school level.  At a recent meeting held at Mangalore, a section of Kannada writers have decided to  write to the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi seeking a clarification whether it  recognized Devanagari script as the official script of Konkani. "If the  answer is yes, we will approach the apex court challenging the Sahitya  Academy's decision. If not, it would also mean that Roman script would have  equal status", explained a Konkani activist who preferred anonymity. Ever  since Konkani was granted official recognition by the Sahity a Academy, books  written in Roman script were not considered by the Academy for awards, as a  result most of the works by Goan writers were ignored, many passing away without recognition.

The development in Karnataka, buttressed by persistent research by Father Pratap Naik of the Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr at Porvorim, has exposed not only the hollowness of Devanagari but in the process has exposed the machination of the Saraswat role in continuing the cultural hegemony in Konkani.

The most significant manner the nervousness is palpable is evident in the writings published in a local Konkani daily, which has been used in recent times to pillor the Catholic community by offering space to rank RSS  supporters like Subash Velingkar, even Nagesh Karmali of Fontinhas vandalism fame. In one of the article penned by Karmali entitled "Father Pratap's mental  balance is going" dated on 18 July, Karmali describes the Jesuit researcher as "proud", "arrogant " and "outsider".  N. Shivdas in an article on 22 July  once again pillories the priest thus: "Father Pratap Naik creates hatred. What sort of religious trend is this?"

Evidently, Father Pratap's role in negating the false propaganda orchestrated  by the Devanagari lobby, followed by proving that Devanagari orthography (writing system) used in Goa is "unscientific" and hardly holds any future,  has unsettled his detractors. "With computers and internet, Roman script is  more acceptable globally unlike Devanagari. Even Kannada script is localized  to Karnataka, but Roman has international acceptance", he said. Currently,  the government due to the Official Language Act has been supporting institutions of Konkani in Devanagari script, but has cold-shouldered those in Roman script. Most of these institutions are controlled by the high caste  Hindu Brahmins, who have over the years imposed their say in how Konkani ought to be promoted.

Consequently, though the Catholic community had relented to Devanagari, by way of accepting it in the Language Act in the hope that Konkani would be made the state language and unite the peoples of the state, "Roman script writers have now come to realize that the divide between the various scripts has continued", with Devanagari script benefiting predominantly Hindu  Brahmins, who being familiar with the script have usurped most government  jobs. "Even their women who would have otherwise remained dutiful house-wives have gained employment in Government services and also as Konkani language tutors, while the Cristaos have suffered with the unfamiliar non standardized  language.", says a young supporter of Roman script .

At the peak of the Konkani agitation in Goa in the mid eighties -- the Hindu
Brahmins in Goa who rallied behind the "Konkani Porjecho Avaz" manipulated the "Cristaos" of Goan origin to accept Devanagari as the script in lieu of Roman  script (which they as well as the Church authorities were acquainted with) on the assumption that --- if the Devanagari script was accepted the Hindu Bahujans (non Brahmins) would easily accept Konkani instead of Marathi as they were familiar with the Devanagari script.

Demolishing the claim of present orthography (writing system) in Devanagari  script, Fr Pratap explained that it cannot show a number of sounds proper to Konkani, and its use is not as scientific as in Sanskrit orthography because  of inconsistent spelling. "Devanagari cannot be the natural script for Konkani because it was not evolved for Konkani.", he added. Last month, the TSKK  introduced changes in the orthography of writing Konkani in Roman script to suit modern technology and adapt to sounds near to spoken Konkani, in the process eliminating defects involved in writing in Devanagari script. "Though Devanagari script is phonetic, the Devanagari orthography used to  write Konkani is unscientific, and illogical, to native speakers as well as non-Konkani speakers and learners", reiterated the priest who insists that he  is not for any particular script.

"Devanagari script has 33 major defects. All these years a section of  Konkani writers had propagated the myth that Konkani cannot be adequately  written in Roman script. Now TSKK has proved that this myth is far from the  truth. Out of the 33 shortcomings of Devanagari orthography, TSKK Roman  Orthography has eliminated 30", he said. One has to read what is written just like Sanskrit orthography. Therefore it is ideal and best suited to Konkani, "said Fr  Pratap, expressing hope that in ten years Roman Orthography will unite Konkani speaking people of the world.

"This Herculean task will never be achieved by Kannada or Devanagari scripts.  If written Konkani survives and blooms in the future in Goa, it will be  mainly in Roman script", the researcher said and cited that even today  Konkani is predominantly written in Kannada, Devanagari and Roman scripts. Among these, Kannada script has the highest number of periodicals, publishers, writers and readers. Yet, Kannada script is limited to Konkani  people of Karnataka. On the other hand, Devanagari script has the least readership and it is limited to users in India. Besides, Konkani in Devanagari script has not yet become popular in Goa. Where the majority community still prefers to read, write and study Marathi and not Konkani! Ten local and national Marathi dailies are sold in Goa, which indicates that this community favours Marathi and proves that the majority of local people have  not accepted or supported Konkani written in Devanagari script

Konkani has used Roman script right from 16th century. Instances of use of Kannada script from 17th century in Goa, and in Karnataka Kannada script has been used for Konkani for over a hundred years. Devanagari script has been  used only from the beginning of the last century in Goa, and very few use it elsewhere to write Konkani.

Bosco e Sousa Eremita
September 20, 2005.

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