by Rons Bantwal for Daijiworld News Network - from Panaji
Panaji, Feb 11: Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane has announced holding of World Konkani Sammelam in Goa and urged the people to strive for development of the language.
Addressing the inaugural session of the 3-day silver jubilee celebrations of All India Konkakni Parishad here this evening, Rane asked the writers and artistes to take advantage of the subsidy schemes available for them for shooting Konkani films in Goa and outside.
Governor S C Jamir exhorted the academics and writers to promote Konkani which continues to keep the identity of Goa intact.
''Konkani keeps the identity of Goa and makes the language richer further. Languages continue to play a vital role in developing civilisation, knowledge, ideas, cultural and spiritual understanding,'' Jamir said.
Language promotes social and cultural unity, particularly in India with its unity in diversity. It also developes linkages with world community and try to learn more languages to hold India together, he observed..
Former Karnataka minister R V Deshpande described Konkani as the only ''secular'' language in the country with people belonging to Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and other faiths speaking it.
Shantaram Naik, MP, and reception committee chairman, described the development of Konkani in the region and efforts to promote it as official language in Goa.
Newly elected president, award winning author and Konkani activist from Mangalore Paul Moras called for revival of Konkani language movement besides promoting the language in Devanagari script saying ''one language,one script'' could develop the language further.
About 500 delegates from Goa, Karnataka,Kerala and Maharashtra were participating in the celebrations in which nine prominent writers were honoured and several new books released. They included Uday Bhambre, Chandrakant Keni, Pundali Naik, N.Srinivas, Rajendra and K.K.Pai, the first president of the Parishad and former chairman of the syndicate bank.
Also read :