The language that is used to perform one’s religious rites, ceremonies and prayers by any linguistic community, will never die. Konkani is one language that is kept alive by its followers because they use it for their religious activities. Which is that community that kept this Konkani language still alive in Goa? It is the Christian community by making use of the Roman Script, kept Konkani alive and as a matter of fact, Konkani in Goa and amongst Goans will remain alive as long as it is used by the Christian community in Roman script. When any language is used in prayers its taste and importance enhances because it is come from deep of one’s heart. Goan Christians deserve highest compliments in preserving Konkani till today. If Konkani is kept alive in Goa today it is only because of the efforts of Romi Konkani followers. Once they stopped it in their prayers and go for English to recite their prayers and perform their religious rites then Konkani will cease to exist in Goa and amongst Goans.The biggest damage for Konkani was done by the vast majority of Hindu community by opposing it openly in the past. The entire followers of MGP rejected Konkani and volunteered to embrace Marathi. The lower strata of Hindu community though they converse in it fluently yet they reject it for reasons not known even to them. The upper Hindu class use it to hold its monopoly over it and to do this they sanscritised Konkani and they also Marathi-ised Konkani to suit their needs and also to deny the Christian community upperhand over it. This higher class and higher caste Hindus boast of their allegiance to Konkani but they perform their religious rites in non-Konkani languages. The language that is ignored by any linguistic community for its religious rites will surely die. These Sanskritik and Marathik Konnivadis give their fake allegiance to Konknni in Devanagri script only to gain material benefits for them and for their community. To spread Konknni far and wide they have done nothing and in future too they will do nothing. Even if they make attempts they will never succeed because masses reject their version of Konknni which is semi Marathi. At the moment they hold strong monopoly over Konknni in Goa even though their contribution for the campaign of recognition of Konknni is very negligent.
All the Konkani Martyrs who shed their precious Konkani blood were the followers of Roman Script Konkani. Overwhelming majority of the demonstrators who participated in demonstration like Rallies and Meetings in Panjim for the cause of Konkani were the followers of Roman Script Konkani. Even expatriate Goans like me who participated in such demonstrations during our vacations in Goa were from Roman Script circle. People like me who received “Lathis” from the “Ghantti” Hawaldars of Rane’s Government for participating in the demonstration in Panjim during language agitation were from Roman Script Konkani. People like Uday Bhembro who fight for the monopoly of Konkani by holding the card of Devanagri Konknni never received any Lathi from Rane’s Police. Ravindra Kelakar and Konknnivadis like him have not received any bullet from Rane’s “Rostad” Ghantti police “Mamas”. But men like Kelekar along with Uday Bhembro are frantically opposing due recognition for Roman Script Konkani as if Konknni is their fathers’ property. They and all the fanatics of Devanagri Konknni will surely meet with their Waterloo either today or tomorrow. All the lucrative Konkani benefits are enjoyed by these few Nagrivadis and by doing this they make us believe that they are robbing the benefits of official status of Konkani for them only. To gain official status for Konkani Romivadis have done much more and as such they deserve better dividends. By denying them these dividends is like committing crime not only on Roman script Konkani but also on the Konkani as a whole.
Our misfortune is this that we don’t have dedicated leaders to fight for our cause. I have lost my confidence in Churchill Alemao to do something substantial for the cause of Romi Konkani. He uses Romi Konkani card only to enhance his chances for election purpose. Tiatrists should stop relying on him anymore. He has already shown his true colour in the recent happenings in Goa. For the sake of political power and money he will do anything. Romi Konkani is not an issue for him anymore. Secondly, Tomazinho Cardoso whom I know from his very early age in Candolim as my colleague in many activities is not a very strong person, he lacks leadership qualities. He is very weak and shaky. For 5 long years he was in Goa Legislative Assembly as a Speaker wielding power, influence in the Assembly and in Congress party. I don’t think he did anything good for the cause of Romi Konkani at that time. That he did something for the cause of Romi Konkani I have no idea but that he did not nothing I know for sure.
During his tenure as Speaker, Tomazinho Cardoso was like a “Popott” of Rane clinging to his chair, courtesy Rane. No Speaker in the history of Goa has lowered the prestige of Speaker’s chair as he did. He was known as Speaker of Private Chamber Discussion. Such Popotts in life will not attain anything great. People in Romi circle should stop relying on Tomazinho Cardoso. He is like a sinking ship and for his survival in public life he is clinging to Romi Konkani movement. Romi Konkani does not need Tomazinho Cardoso but Tomazinho Cardoso needs Romi Konkani for his promotion and survival in public life in Goa. In one side he is flirting with Nagri “Pamprelam” and on the other side he is sleeping with Romi “Mana”. I pity our Romivadis in Goa relying on Tomazinho Cardoso. We Romivadis need strong leader to fight for our cause. Tiatrists will never be able to give strong, dedicated and sincere leadership for our cause and Tomazinho Cardoso is just a Tiatrists by birth. As a Tiatrist Tomazinho Cardoso will fail us. Issuing few Press Releases as another Tiatrist Wilmix does will not solve our problem. These Press Releases will only keep the image of Tiatrists afloat. Among them there are Tiatrists who if given a “Lolipop” by Churchill Alemao, they will sing hosannas loudly from the stage and thru Audio Cassettes in praise of Nagri Konknni. Some of them are such, their attitude is “Bhor ga potta ani sor ga dissa”.
The greatness of Konkani is surrounded on its Romi script which is accepted and recognized all over the world. We can still further spread and popularize Konkani throuogout the World and Moon as well only thru Romi Konkani. As it is Roman script Bible is already stationed in the Moon. In Jerusalem the birthplace of Jesus Christ there is a Church called “Pater Nostre”. In this Church there are Plaques on the Walls where the beautiful prayer of Jesus Christ “Our Father” is kept written in all the languages existing in this World. The Konkani language prayer “Our Father” or “AMCHEA BAPA” is kept written in Roman Script Konkani as indicated below. No other script is used to record this prayer except Roman script. This is the photograph of that prayer as it is written originally. This photograph is clicked by Mr. Mario Rebello from Panjim – Goa who along with his entire family recently paid a visit to Holy Land. Mario Rebello is my colleague in Kuwait Konknni Kendr – Kuwait.
Konkani is internationalized thru Roman Script while Konknni is monopolized thru Nagri Script by a few Hindu Saraswat Bamonn with the help of their “chamchas” from lower strata of Hindu society whose dadagiri we must break by all means until both the scripts are brought on par with each other. These Hindu Bamonn wants poor Romi Konkani followers only to fight and shed blood while like Malyalis they watch from distance with little or no participation of theirs and finally come to enjoy the good results of our efforts. Once Konknni was recognized these Nagri Konknnivadis who were earlier flirting with me like “Mardollchim Kolvontam” have totally forgotten me and my colleagues who have worked and done so much for the cause of Konkani from Kuwait. If Konkani has attained official status in Goa leading to the Statehood of Goa then part of the credit should go to Kuwaitkars only. But who recognized our Himalayan efforts at an appropriate time? Are we forgotten heroes of Konkani?
A.Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
Picture by mario_rebello@hotmail.com
P.S
Mario Rebello on Church of Pater Noster:
The Princess of Belgium DÁuvergne in 1847 bought the property and had a new church built for the cloistered Carmelite Sisters. Several churches commemorating the "Our Father" were built here both in the Byzantine and Crusader periods. There are over 144 plaques depicting various languages and dialects of the prayer of the "Our Father" surrounding the enclosed wall of the property.
