Open mic session planned in Margao on Oct 26
MARGAO
Global Konknni Forum (GKF) and Mandd Sobhann, Mangalore, have announced the decision to boycott the forthcoming All India Konkani Parishad organised by the Sahitya Akademi in Goa at the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, on October 26-27.
The two organisations have decided to hold a silent dharna outside the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, on October 26 from 8.30 am to 10 am, followed by an open mic session at the Lohia Maidan, Margao, at 10.15 am.
Convenor of the All Konknni Script Committee, Global Konknni Forum and Mandd Sobhann, Kennedy Afonso, has further announced that until such time as the Sahitya Akademi "learns to respect Roman and Kannada scripts and accords equal status to other scripts of Konknni, along with Devanagari", they will boycott all programmes and functions organised by the Sahitya Akademi.
Afonso has appealed to all "self-respecting" Konkani-speaking enthusiasts, writers, script associations, and students to boycott the Sahitya Akademi event.
“The Sahitya Akademi’s continued recognition of only the Devanagari script for the Konkan language, while disregarding four other scripts of Konkani -- Roman script, Kannada, Malayalam, and Perso-Arabic, constitutes discrimination against a significant section of Konkani speakers and writers, and this goes against our fundamental rights. We demand equal recognition and representation for all scripts as enshrined in Article 14 and Article 29(1) of the Indian Constitution,” Afonso said.
He added: “The Sahitya Akademi must do away with the discriminatory 'One Language, One Script Policy' as multiple scripts reflect the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Konkani. Each script has its own history and has made significant contributions to Konkani literature.”
Afonso pointed out that before 1981, the Sahitya Akademi did not have any official script of Konkani. "It was only in 1981 that Devanagari protagonists infiltrated the Konkani Advisory Board and passed a unanimous decision to nominate Devanagari as the official script of Konknni.
“No linguistic criteria were followed to justify the nomination over other scripts of Konkani, nor did the Akademi evaluate the historical importance of each script," Afonso said. "Recent data reveals it does not even pass the basic criteria. It is neither the natural nor the oldest script of Konkani. Its usage is only 12 per cent, with Kannada at 58 per cent, followed by Roman script. It only produces 8 per cent in terms of Konkani literature, with Kannada script at 70 per cent and Roman script at 20 per cent. To promote linguistic diversity and inclusivity, the Sahitya Akademi should reorder its policy and adopt a more inclusive approach,” he demanded.
