mangalore today

JKS approaches high court for equal important to all five Konkani scripts


Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, June 30, 2012: Mandd Sobhann Gurkar Eric Ozario told reporters that the Global Konkani Organization (JKS) has filed a petition in the High Court against the Sahithya Academy in New Delhi, urging that five scripts, including Devnagari, ought to be considered for Konkani awards, projects, and assignments. 


The Central Sahithya Academy at present considers only Konkani books in Devanagari script for awards. The Global Konkani Organization’s petition urges that Konkani books written in Perso-Arabic, Roman, Kannada, and Malayalam scripts should also be considered for awards. 


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Ozario said that Devanagari is considered as the official script although it is only the third widely used script after Roman and Kannada. Stating that the Central Sahithya Academy has been presenting awards, projects, and assignments only to Konkani in Devanagari script right from the beginning, he said that the academy has given no positive response even after sending so many appeals, owing to which Marcel D’Souza, Valli Vagga, and Eric Ozario have approached the high court on behalf of all Konkani writers to get recognition for all the five scripts used in writing Konkani. 


He also said that the Karnataka State Konkani Linguistic Minorities Institutions have filed an application, urging the court to implead the Global Konkani Organization in this case and to consider only Devanagari script for Konkani. 


Mr. Ozario said that the institution has issued a press statement on June 12, in which it has wrongly stated that the Constitution has given importance only to Devanagari and the recognition of other scripts will destroy the importance of Devanagari script. Stating that this is not true, Mr. Ozario said that equal importance must be given to all the five scripts used to write Konkani. 


Roy Castelino, treasurer for JKS; Vice President K. K. Utharan; Dr. Prathapnanda Nail, linguist; Valli Vagga, writer; and many others were also present.