DKA activities

DALGADO KONKNNI AKADEMI

The name

Dalgado Konknni Akademi (DKA) was established in 1988. This Akademi is named
after Mgr. Sebastião Dalgado, for his various contributions to enrich Konkani
Language. Mgr. Sebastião Dalgado was a scholar of Konkani as well as many
other languages. Dalgado was born in Assagão, a village in Bardez, Goa on May
8, 1855. Mgr. Dalgado devoted himself to the study of Konkani in scientific
and systematic manner. He was the first person in Goa to use Devanagari
script for Konkani and to print the first Konkani book in it. He compiled two
dictionaries Konkani-Portuguese and Portuguese-Konkani; Konkani was then
written as well as spoken in various dialects. Mgr. Dalgado found his own
Bardexi dialect the most suitable to standardize Konkani. Mgr. Dalgado's aim
was to show that Konkani was a full-fledged independent language.

Mgr. Dalgado's contribution to the development of Konkani language is immense.
He rightfully deserved a prominent place but in vain. In order to keep the
name, the works and sacrifices of Mgr. Dalgado alive for the present and
future generations, the Akademi was named after this great son of Goa.

The first phase:

For the first four years DKA was very active. Fr. Freddy J. da Costa was the
President. Mr. Tomazinho Cardozo was the secretary and Mr. Prabhakar Tendulkar
the treasurer. During this period, DKA published 'Konkani Orthography in Roman
Script' with the intention of bringing about a desirable unity among the
writers, so that the writers could understand the principles and rules of
writing Konkani in Roman script. A number of programmes were conducted in
various parts of Goa to popularise Roman script and Konkani written in it.
Subsequently due to various reasons DKA slowed down and remained stand still.

The second phase:

It was observed that the writers of Konkani in Roman script were totally
neglected as they were not getting any financial backing from any quarters to
carry on their activities. In fact, after the passing of Goa Official Language
Act, the Government and the institutions working for the cause of Konkani in
Goa, supported Konkani in Devnagiri script only. Publications of books in
Roman script suffered. Institution like Kala Akademi stopped giving awards for
Konknani Books in Roman script.

In order to support and to give boost to the creativity of Konkani writers in
Roman script, some well wishers of Konkani in Roman script came together and
decided to revive Dalgado Konknni Akademi. Presently Mr. Tomazinho Cardozo is
the President, Mr. Jose Salvador Fernandes and Mr. Prabhakar Tendulkar are
the secretary and treasurer respectively. Besides there are other 10
prominent persons as members of the Executive Board. Various sub-committees
have been formed to popularise the activities of the Akademi. Literary
Committee is headed by Fr. Peter Raposo, Editor of Vavraddeancho Ixtt, while
Wilson Mazarello, popular stage artiste, is the chairman of Cultural
Committee. Dr. Olivinho Gomes, former Head of Konkani Department of Goa
University, is the Chairman of the Committee to frame the Constitution of the
Akademi, while Dr.Pratap Naik, Director of Thomas Sthepens Konknni Kendr will
head the Awards Committee. The present membership of the Akademi is over 200.

Aims and Objectives:

The present Executive Board has set a few aims and objectives and activities
to strengthen Konkani in Roman script.

The first and foremost objective of DKA is to promote Konkani language in
Roman script, which is neglected, side tracked and given step motherly
treatment. Konkani written in Roman script goes back to 1560. Without its
Roman script history, Konkani would not have got the recognition by Sahitya
Akademi, New Delhi in 1975. It has the rich cultural heritage and it has
become integral and unavoidable part of Goan culture, specifically of
Christians. The vast majority of Goan Christians read Konkani written in
Roman script. Hence it has to be preserved fostered and developed.

DKA will make all efforts to provide support, financial and otherwise, for
writers of Konkani in Roman script. It will work untiringly to obtain for them
their just and lawful demands, dues and rights. DKA will recognize those
institutions, which are working for the promotion and development of Konkani
Language, literature and culture in Roman script. It will initiate various
activities in literary, cultural and social field through all the modern means
of social communication.

It will provide financial assistance, and scholarships to writers, dramatists,
talented important people, scholars and students to carry out research and
other undertakings in the field of Konkani. Holding and organizing seminars,
conferences, workshops, exhibitions, lectures, competitions of different
types; undertaking and editing Konkani folk songs, music, folk literature,
stage performances and other expressions of Konkani culture; Library and
documentation centre facilities to the students, writers, teachers, producers
and actors/actresses of Konkani; collecting and preserving Konkani documents,
records, books and objects scattered with individuals and families which are
related to the cultural and literary development of Konkani are other
objectives.

The Akademi will focus on promoting, assisting, and undertaking publications
of children's literature in Konkani along with providing books or magazines in
Konkani language to the libraries and institutions.

It is a fact that many Christians in Goa are going away from Konkani language.
They do not send their children to Konkani schools. They hesitate to talk in
Konkani language in their daily life. In other words they are in the process
of loosing their Goan identity. DKA will make untiring efforts to preserve our
identity through Konkani language irrespective of the scripts in which it is
written.

Action Plan for 2004 -2005:

DKA has set an Action Plan for the Academic year 2004-2005.

1. To register DKA under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860.

2. For giving publicity to DKA, it has planned to hold a seminar cum
cultural programme in Konkani at Margão in December, 2004.

3. Publication of 10 Konkani books in Roman script that will include novels,
short stories, poetry, translation, tiatr, khell tiatr, and essays. These
books will be released in December, 2004.

4. Publication of its annual magazine " PORMOLL" during Christmas.

5. DKA plans to enroll 2000 people as members for the current academic year.

6. DKA intends to finance partly the Konkani writers in Roman script to
publish their first book in Roman script.

7. Plans in collaborating with various other institutions who work for Konkani
in Roman script and work hand in hand.

8. It will celebrate Dalgado Jayanti on 8th May 2005 to commemorate 150 years
of Dalgado's Birth on a large scale. On that day a senior Konkani writer in
Roman script will be honoured with "Dalgado Konknni Puroskar". Dalgado Jayanti
Celebrations will continue throughout the year ending in May 2006.

9. To launch DKA website.

10. To start fund raising campaign to promote Konkani in Roman script.

11. To launch the village-to-village programme " Speak Konkani, save
Konkani". Through this venture we hope to unite Goans, particularly
Christians, in order to strengthen their roots of Goan identity.

Our aims and objectives in reviving Dalgado Konknni Akademi are very clear. It
is our duty to support writers of Konkani in Roman script and to provide
qualitative literature to thousands of readers of Konkani in Roman script. It
is also our paramount responsibility to see that our Christian community loves
their mother tongue Konkani and is proud of its Goan identity.

We request all like minded Goans to support Dalgado Konknni Akademi in its
mission. We are open for any suggestions if they are going to be beneficial
for writers and readers of Konkani in Roman Script in particular and Goans in
general.

Tomazinho Cardozo

President
Dalgado Konknni Akademi
Candolim, Bardez, Goa.
Phone: 9822170102

(As posted on 20/11/2004 and archived by gaspar almeida, www.goa-world.com]