Mangalore: All India Konkani Writers' Organization to be launched on Jan 19

Pics: Meryick D'Silva
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
With Inputs from Media Release

Mangalore, Jan 15: All India Konkani Writers' Organisation, promoted by Jagotik Konknni Songhotton (JKS), will be launched on January 19 at Kalaangann, said Eric Ozario, secretary general of JKS.

Addressing a press meet here on Wednesday January 15, he said, "Around a 100 Konkani writers from Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala will assemble to pass the Constitution, elect the committee and the office-bearers, and to chalk out the plan of action."

Guinness World Record holder Gopal Kharvi, a Konkani, will be felicitated on the occasion on behalf of the Konkanis of the world, he said.

The All India Conference of Konkani writers which met on September 29, 2013, had unanimously decided to establish an All India Organisation of Konkani writers, on the principles of ‘Respect for every script’ and ‘Unity in diversity’, with an aim to seek justice for the literature in all scripts and in the interest of preserving and promoting Konkani language in all its variety.

"Though Konkani is written in 5 scripts (Kannada, Roman, Devanagari, Malayalam and Perso Arabic), and though the literature in Kannada, Roman and Devanagari are prolific, a small coterie of Devanagariwadis have exercised a deadly stranglehold on the Konkani movement for the past 75 years, due to which, literature in scripts other than Devanagari have been starved of all benefits and facilities available to Konkani," JKS stated in a media release.

"The All India Konkani Parishad, the front organization of the Devanagari coterie, has incessantly tried to project Devanagari as Konkani’s official, natural and holy script. They have usurped all awards, assignments, projects and grants of the Central Sahitya Akademi, for literature in Devanagari alone, and have managed to keep Konkani in the Roman Script out of the purview of the Official Language Act of Goa. To redeem Konkani from the clutches of such fascist elements, the All India Organisation of Konkani writers has been formed," the release stated.

"JKS places on record its displeasure at the government of Karnataka, for not appointing the president and members to the Konkani Academy and urges the government to do so, without further delay," JKS added.

Litterateur Dr Edward Nazareth, writer, publisher and activist Vitori Karkal, senior litterateur Flt Lt Edwin Netto, IAF (retd) and Mandd Sobhann secretary and writer Irine Rebello were present.