Dalgado Konknni Akademi press release from president Wilson Mazarello

Panaji, Jul 4: Due to the untiring efforts of various institutions working towards the granting of equal status to Roman script Konknni, the Congress party has finally realized the importance of the issue and has shown willingness to amend the Official Language Act 1987 to include Roman script.

There is a general consensus in the cabinet to accede to the demand of a significantly large section of Goan Society which continues to use Roman script over the past 450 years, according to a press release issued by the Dalgado Konknni Akademi.

However, the Vichar Vibhag of the Congress Party headed by Uday Bhembre, the main architect of the controversial Official Language Act who clandestinely included the obnoxious clause "Konknni language means Konknni language in Devanagari script." has shot off a letter to Cabinet ministers strongly opposing the amendment favouring Roman script. The Vichar Vibhag consists of a handful of hardcore Devanagari fanatics whose main objective is to suppress the minority community and to deny their lawful demands, says the DKA press release.

In its letter the Vichar Vibhag claims that in Goa scripts are related to religious communities. Therefore, scripts isolate one community from the other. This is a blatant lie. In Goa scripts are not related to religious activities. In fact languages are. Namely, the entire Hindu community uses Marathi for their religious activities.

The entire Christian community uses Konknni for their religious activities. However, Konknni in Devanagari script is not at all used by any community in Goa for their religious activities, points out the press release.

"The Vichar Vibhag claims that there is no Official Language Act in our country which prescribes two or more scripts for any language. Once again the vichar Vibhag is misleading the Goans. The fact is that all official language acts in our country mention only the name of the official language but never its script. Then why should only the Official Language Act of Goa mention a particular script? Is this not a deliberate act of communal discrimination?," asks the DKA.

"he Vichar Vibhag claims that Diocesan Society of Education took a wise decision to introduce Konknni as a medium of instruction in their schools. The Diocesan Society was forced to impose an alien dialect and script on the minority community. However, the majority Hindu community preferred to educate their children in English or Marathi medium schools.

"The Vibhag claims that the catholic community tend to benefit in the form of jobs and opportunities by accepting Devanagari script. The reality is that the minority community has been discriminated at every level.

"The Vibhag also claims that Kala Akademi and Goa Konknni Akademi have revised their policies towards the Roman script. This is far from the truth. There is no change of policy. Whatever little is done as charity is due to the heavy pressure on the government by various institutions supporting Roman script.

"The Christian community has not accepted Devanagari script for Konknni in spite of it being imposed during the last twenty years. However, tiatr, manddo, dekhnni, kantaram continue to flourish in Roman script. Magazines and periodicals in Roman script have an overwhelming readership. The Catholic Church exclusively uses Roman script for its religious literature.

"Therefore, the users of Roman script for Konknni demand an immediate amendment to the Official Language Act of Goa to give equal status to the Roman script as a matter of right and not charity. This is necessary for peaceful and harmonious coexistence of all Goans.

"Roman script supporters categorically condemn the mischievous deeds of the Vichar Vibhag which consist of highly communal and casteist minded individuals. They are not only anti roman script but also anti-Goan," further says the release.