Mangaluru: Konknni Manyata Divas celebrated

Mangaluru: Konknni Manyata Divas celebrated

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 20, 2022: ‘Konkani Manyata Divas’ or "Konkani Recognition Day" celebrating the inclusion of Konkani as an official language in the Eighth Schedule of Indian Constitution, on August 20,1992.  On this date today August 20, 2022, Konkani speakers in many places world over appropriately marked  it’s 30th anniversary. Konkani is a unique dialect, popular with its speakers world over,  now introduced for study in schools and colleges in several hub areas. 

 

 

Kanara/Mangalore, Goa and Konkan/Mumbai on the west coast of the Indian peninsula are particularly known centers  currently for this great  musical dialect called Konkani. But, it is even more widespread in several forms among many communities and countless settlers on all the continents use it in unaccounted forms to communicate among themselves.  In fact it is said that the diaspora (here meaning all who do not know Konkanni but still love it and want to know more) has become deeply attached and sentimental over its use and learning it.  This same diaspora is thirsting to read about it and the culture of its speakers in their adoptive language, be it  English, Portuguese, or any major language.  Literature especially in English in this ancient language has garnered fair interest as most younger people are not familiar with an Indian script.


It is known that ancient Konkani was  referred to as Prakrit by its speakers. Reference to the name Konkani is not found in literature prior to the 13th century.  Konkani has been known by a variety of names: Canarim, Concanim, Gomantaki, Bramana, and Goani. It is called Amchi Bhas (our language) by native speakers, Amchi Gele by GSBs in Dakshina Kannada, and Govi or Goenchi Bhas by others. Learned Marathi speakers tend to call it Gomantaki.

Konkani is a split tongue; you can even tell the religion of the speaker by the articulation and intonation. Five scripts are popular in writing : Roman, Kannada, Malayalam, Perso-Arabic, and Devanagari.General view is, If it borrows words from European languages, it is “corrupted”; if it borrows words from Sanskrit, it is Brahmanized; if it uses Kannada or Malayalam, it is Dravidized. It is a language undergoing constant stress and reinvention.  Recent observations indicate that Kannada script use is gradually morphing Konkani and has a vague tendency to be  amalgamated with Kannada.  Konakni writers constantly bicker about tradition and uprightness with a ’holier than thou’ approach and subtly discourage other language users as outsiders, which could prove detrimental  to development in the long term.  Konkani has nearly 13 million plus speakers and  growing numbers.

Many Konkani lovers suffered much in the fight to get ’manyata/recognition’ achieved in 1992, they were GSBs using Devanagari script and Konkani Christians who were using Roman and Kannada script for Konkani.  Roman and Kannada script users were at the forefront of the struggle for Konkiani, also most of the modern Konkani literature, music and cultural work are prominent in these two scripts/lipi.  But the protagonist of Devanagari  unconsciously took more benefits, and the other scripts were denied their rights.   This is the bitter truth and even today, in popularity Kannada and Roman Scripts are in forefront but all govt aids are not in favour of them due to hidden factors - the script conundrum.  

 The act of speaking it is revolutionary, rejuvenating endorsement of ethnic identity and roots, even with the diaspora.  Lot needs to be done for it to come out into the sun and gain the dues from powers that be. Now with 75 years of Indian Independence behind us, while progressing and developing to the century in 2047, let there be a target to rationalise the vitality of KONKANI BHAAS’.