Konknni and its Scripts at the Crossroad by Pratapananda Naik, S.J.

 

Konknni and its Scripts at the Crossroad

Pratapananda Naik, S.J.

 

A small group of vested interest people who insist only the Devanagari script for Konknni are misleading the general public with myths, lies and half truths. This article focuses on facts related to Konknni.

When Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi gave recognition to Konknni there was no mention of its script in the minutes. Excerpts from the meeting of the General Council of the Sahitya Akademi held on 26 February 1975 reads "As Konknni fulfils the criteria formulated by the Akademi for recognition of a language, it is recognised as an independent modern literary language of India.” On 21 November 1981 the Nagari supporters of the Advisory Body of Sahitya Akademi proposed Nagari script as the only official script. Since then Sahitya Akademi accepted Devanagari script for Konknni.

 

When Konknni was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India on 20 August 1992 there was no mention of its official script. The seventy-first amendment to the Constitution reads, “BE it enacted by Parliament in the Forty-third Year of the republic of India as follows:-

Short title.-this Act may be called the Constitution (Seventy-first Amendment) act, 1992.

Amendment of eighth schedule.- In the Eighth schedule to the Constitution,-

existing entry 7 shall be re-numbered as entry 8, and before entry 8 as so re-numbered, the entry "7. Konkani." shall be inserted”.  From this one could conclude that the official script of Konknni for all Konknnis (Konknni speakers) is not officially decided or accepted by the people. 

 

As on 30.09.2006, Catholics are in forefront in Goa to run 126 Konknni medium primary schools.  Hindu managements run only 5 Konknni medium primary schools  and 49 Marathi medium schools. Goa Government runs 72 Konknni medium schools and promotes 898 Marathi medium primary schools. Why the supporters of Nagari do not bring pressure on the Government and Hindu managements  to start Konknni medium schools? 

 

According to the academic year 2005-2006 Marathi medium primary schools have the highest number of students, namely, 36,805. Konknni has only 28,152 students. The vast majority of Nagari supporters send their children and grand children to English or Marathi medium Primary schools!  Though Konknni is the State Language of Goa in the entire State there is not a single Konknni medium high school. While Marathi, Urdu and Kannada medium high schools are found in Goa. Though Konknni is the official language of Goa, it is not a compulsory language in schools!  One can complete his/her entire education in Goa without learning Konknni!

 

At the X std number of students who opt for Konknni as the third language have not crossed 45% of total number of students who appear for the examination. In 2008 April  15,765 students appeared for the X Std examination. Out of which 7454 students opted for Marathi and 6535 for Konknni. At the XII Std number of students who opt for Konknni as the second language have not crossed 35%. According to the reliable sources the majority of these students are Catholics.  For the academic year 2006-2007 out of 127 Christian management high schools 126 schools offer Konknni as a third language.  Most of the government high schools in North Goa District do not offer Konknni. 51.83% of schools run by the Hindu community do not offer Konknni as a third language!

 

In Karnataka Konknni is included in the school curriculum from the academic year 2007-2008 in Kannada script. 101 schools are teaching Konknni in Kannada script as a subject from Std. VI. Out of these except 5 government schools, rest of the schools belong to the Catholic management. Though there is an option to teach Konknni in Nagari script, not a single school offers this option.  Karnataka Government has recognized Kannada script as the official script for Konknni in Karnataka.

 

The Kerala Government has approved of teaching of Konknni in Nagari script in Kerala, but in reality Konknni is not taught because there are no students.  In Kerala not a single full-fledged Konknni periodical is published.  In reality in Kerala Konknnis exist but Konknni continues to be mainly the spoken language and it is hardly used for written purpose.

 

In Goa literate Hindus know the Nagari script. Yet the vast majority of them prefer to read and write Marathi and not Konknni.  10 Marathi dailies are sold in Goa.  While the single Konknni daily in Goa has very poor circulation after 22 years of its existence!  In Goa there are only 4 Konknni periodicals in Nagari script. Roman script has 13 periodicals.  Besides these, there are 82 Parish Bulletins are published in Roman script. Catholics who read Konknni prefer to read it in Roman script.  Since liberation, Konknni in Nagari script has not united the entire Hindu community.  It has not united the majority and minority communities.  Spoken Konknni alone is the uniting factor in Goa. 

 

Church  has supported and preserved Konknni in Roman script. As on 26 August 2008,  60,000 copies of the entire Bible in Konknni, 2,32,000 copies of New Testament and over 3 lakhs  of Gayonancho Jhelo (hymnal), 1,00,000 catechism books for students and 6,000 teachers’ handbooks are printed. The Church uses maximum amount of Konknni in Roman script  for the religious purpose. Archbishop’s official circulars and pastoral letters are written and published in Konknni.

 

In the market Konknni CDs, VCDs & DVDs are found in great numbers.  99% of these are produced by the Catholic community.  Hindus still continue to use Marathi CDs for religious domain and Marathi and Hindi CDs for cultural domain.  Tiatr is the most popular form of entertainment.  At least 40 tiatr groups perform thousand of shows in Goa and elsewhere.  Tiatrs are written exclusively in the Roman script.

 

Konknni in Nagari script is kept alive mainly due to State and Central Governments grants.  In education it exists because of the support of the Catholic community. If the government stops or if the Roman script is given official status will Konknni in Nagari script survive?   This is a serious topic for discussion and reflection.

 

Though Konknni is the State Language of Goa only 30.93% of total Konknni population is found in Goa!  Konknnis are spread out in different States. They use different dialects and scripts. Konknni is required only to maintain their cultural identity.  In this context, Konknni does not help as a medium of instruction, as a common media for communication or to earn one’s livelihood. So far Konknni is survived because it is a vibrant spoken language "One script, one dialect, one community" principle has not succeeded so far to unite Konknnis and in the future it will not succeed.  If we force this principle Konknnis will survive but Konknni will perish.  The protagonists of this principle implicitly believe that Aryans, Brahmins, Sanskrit and Nagari script are related and they are ‘holy/pure/standard/high’ for all!  Konknni will survive and flourish if we accept the principle of unity in diversity of Konknni dialects, scripts and cultures.

 

Supporters of Roman script have so far not opposed the Konknni in Nagari script. Then why the Nagari lobby opposes the inclusion of Roman script in the Official Language Act (OLA)?  In the OLA why the definition of Konknni was given as “Konkani means Konkani written in Devanagari script”?  In 1987 when Marathi was included in the OLA, the Nagari supporters did not oppose it. Why?  The logic is simple. If the Roman script is given its due place, the use of Konknni in Nagari script will be reduced and eventually it might die a natural death. Neither the majority of Hindu community nor the Catholic community wants Konknni in Nagari script.

 

Since the inception of Goa Konknni Akademi, not a single Roman script writer or supporter has been appointed as the President or Vice-President of it. Kala Academy stopped to give awards to Konknni books written in Roman script from 1987. Not a single book in Roman script has been given Sahitya Akademi award. Why the Nagari lobby is silent about this injustice? They used Nagari as a tool to suppress and oppress the minority community to perpetuate their supremacy in the field of language and literature and to grab awards, positions, jobs, power and government funds. 

 

Marathi is used in Goa exclusively by the Hindu community for written communication, religious and cultural areas.  Prior to liberation in Goa, written Konknni meant Konknni in Roman script. If Marathi has a place in the OLA, and Konknni in Nagari script which the majority of Goans do not want has secured a place in it, then the Roman script which is the most popular script has a right to be in the Goa Official Language Act.