Konkani dying in Goa

Konkani dying in Goa

It is said, “Amche mae bhashek aiz pasun konne jivi dovorlea bavani, voi tea padrini, toxench potrani, tech porim tiatristani, tika mannkam motiamni surngar korun dovorlea ghorib Goykarani.” (Konkani has been kept alive first by priests, then by the papers and finally by tiatrists, and it is the poor Goans who have honoured and cherished the language.)

But priests protected Konkani because they wanted to use it to propagate the Gospel and not because they loved the language. It is they who disgraced Konkani by bringing it to the level of cooks, sankistaos and pedos by conversing with them only for specific purposes, and otherwise using Portuguese to converse among themselves. Today priests need not use and protect Konkani because it is useless now that the Gospel is very well understood by the people in English, probably better than in Konkani.

Secondly, there was once a time when Konkani newspapers played a major role in the development and protection and promotion of Konkani. But now, since every Ladru, Pedru, Bostiao, Joku and Kotrin is fed on Konglish, what is the use of Konkani papers?

Thirdly, tiatr was once a huge movement in support of Konkani promotion and protection but now no longer. It is coming to an end because of lack of patronage by the new English-educated generation. Earlier, the average Goenkar was still not affluent, but with the acquisition of abundant wealth, the poor revolted against the so-called elite and educated Goans of yesteryears and emulated them by discarding Konkani.

Is it any wonder that Konkani is dying in Goa?



Reo Cunha, Moira
Letter to the Editor Columns/Herald/Nov. 14, 2009
http://www.oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=29892&cid=13