Daijiworld Media Network

Click Here for ONLINE GLOBAL KONKANI SURVEY

Mangalore, Nov 1 : Jagotik Konknni Songhotton (JKS), as an initial step towards formulating the Language Plan for Konkani, with a view to impartially assess the strengths and weaknesses of Konkani language and culture – is conducting the ‘Hanv Konkani – Global Survey’.

This Survey will be conducted among Konkanis of every region, religion dialect and script, around the world. A detailed Questionnaire will be circulated, for Konkanis to answer. The data so collected will be scientifically analysed and based on the findings, the Konkani Language Plan will be drafted for implementation at the local, regional, national and global levels – to ensure a secure future for Konkani.

With the noble intention of taking Konkani to the future and to motivate every Konkani person, organisation and institution to direct his/her/its activities, energies and resources towards this goal, JKS is in the process of drafting the Konkani Language Plan. The process involves –

(i) Assessing the strengths and weaknesses of Konkani language and culture.
(ii) Preparing the roadmap for Konkani’s progress and future (short-term and long-term plans).
(iii) Implementation of this Plan by every Konkani person and organisation, around the world.

As the first step, this Global Survey is undertaken. The Global Conclave that assembled in August this year, has constituted a Steering Committee to guide and oversee this mammoth task – the Konkani Language Plan will also be the basis of the Konkani Language Policy that will be prepared and submitted to concerned governments for implementation.

Present at the press meet:

Eric Ozario - Secretary General, JKS
Louis J. Pinto - Treasurer, JKS
K. K. Utharan - Vice President (India), JKS
Ravishankar Rao - Member, Steering Committee
Harriet Vidyasagar - Member, Steering Committee

JKS seeks the participation of every Konkani in this historic effort.

For details and Questionnaire please contact: jksglobe@gmail.com/ konkaniglobalsurvey@gmail.com

 WHY PLANNING?

Life would be quite chaotic if not planned. The world would neither progress nor prosper. And therefore, realising and respecting this simple truth, man undertakes planning at the personal, family, professional, community, national, international – in short, at every level. The difference between the planned and the unplanned is like farming and allowing things to grow wild. While regulated farming will fetch one profitable results, wild growth, though may seem lush and green, will be erratic and will contribute very little to economic development.

Same is the case with Konkani. It exists in so many regions around the world, survives in different difficult terrains, at times under very hostile conditions, might on the surface even look flourishing and thriving in so many varieties, shades and hues; but due to sheer lack of planning – at the local, regional, national and at the international levels – lacks the movement forward. No wonder therefore, its future looks bleak and hopeless.

The world is progressing at a very fast pace. Because everything around us is meticulously planned, well thought-out, scientifically organised, professionally managed and consciously developed. Because Konkani has never bothered to follow these norms, Konkani is unable to keep pace with the world around, and as a result, there is not only the fear of it being left-out, but also being wiped-out.

KONKANI PLANNING

It is with this grave concern in mind, that Konkani Language Planning is being proposed. I would prefer to call it ‘Konkani Planning’ rather than ‘Konkani Language Planning’, because, what we are envisaging is not just the revival, development, standardisation of the language, but much beyond. It engulfs the preservation, promotion, enrichment and transmission of a vibrant language and an ancient culture, in all its variety and colours. ‘Konkani Planning’ therefore, is all about taking Konkani (language & culture) forward, on to the future.

Language Planning is usually undertaken by the state or with state support. In Konkani’s case no state has come forward to plan for it. Even the one state that could have done it, has taken a very partisan, biased stand on the issue, confounding the confusion. Therefore, it is inevitable that Konkani Language Planning has to be initiated and executed through private initiative. Private initiative on such a colossal issue suffers from very many disadvantages. For example –

(i) Lack of Resources: Language Planning, to be initiated and implemented at the global level, calls for huge resources. Governments are able to mobilise the same without much effort. For a private initiative to raise this, calls for a herculean endeavour.

(ii) Lack of Authority: A private initiative suffers from the lack of authority to enforce or to make people accept the proposals. All that a private initiative can do is – educate, cajole, coax and motivate. Therefore, it is imperative that the whole process (of planning and execution), be transparent, all inclusive and should take into confidence and involve everyone of the participants.

KONKANI’S MISFORTUNE

Konkani’s greatest misfortune has been that there never existed an enlightened, all-inclusive, forward-looking, progressive-thinking, proactive leadership, even at the national level. At the global level, leadership was simply nonexistent. The leadership that prevailed at the national level, was hopelessly mired in its ill-advised, ‘exclusive’ and highly damaging ‘script-politics’ – making the acceptance of the Nagari script (by hook or crook), by all and sundry, the precondition for Konkani unity. ‘Ek Bhas, Ek Lipi, Ek Sahitya, Ek Samaz...’, a highly dangerous fascist / brahmanical slogan it professed and practised in all its 75 years of existence, instead of uniting, it divided Konkanis on ‘script’ lines. And also because the leadership was too engrossed in attempting to impose one script over the Konkani world, they simply could not visualise Konkani beyond the script issue.

The foolishness and the damaging effect of such a lopsided argument has been proved beyond doubt, in all these years. This detrimental policy of imposing one variety and destroying others – despite manipulations, despite capturing power centres and despite enticing individuals and communities with sops and goodies – has not only failed to work, but has created rifts, gulfs and disunity among Konkanis. Such a leadership can only act as a millstone around Konkani’s neck, hampering its progress, unity and endangering its very existence.

GLOBAL LEADERSHIP

Fortunately, Jagotik Konknni Songhotton (JKS), is now established on the solid all-inclusive principles of – ‘Respect for all Variety – Unity in Diversity’ – to provide leadership for Konkani issues and people at the local, regional, national and global level. Though just 3 years old, it is now providing the leadership that Konkani badly lacked but urgently required.

Naturally, therefore, Konkani Language Planning – its initiation and implementation, has become the responsibility and duty of JKS. JKS proposes to undertake and execute this historic task successfully, with the co-operation, participation and support of every Konkani individual, organisation and institution around the world.

With genuine love for Konkani and true concern for its preservation, enrichment and its transmission to future generations, JKS proposes Konkani Language Planning – taking into consideration the challenges posed and also harnessing the possibilities provided by the globalisation juggernaut.

THE BUSINESS AGENDA

So, what would Konkani Language Planning involve?

1. A fair and impartial assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of Konkani language and culture, vis-a-vis other languages.

2. Drawing-up a road-map and setting short-term and long-term goals and priorities (at the local, regional, national and global level) to enrich and develop Konkani and take it forward to the future.

3. Identifying the hurdles, impediments and challenges in achieving these goals and finding-out ways and means to overcome them.

4. Recruiting the involvement of every Konkani (individual, organisation and institution) to direct all available energies and resources – in the achievement of these goals.

5. Establishing a mechanism to monitor the implementation and also to check and counter-check periodically the progress.

6. But above all, to begin with, initiate a process by which – ideas, opinions, suggestions (on the above points)can be collected from every Konkani organisation around the world.

THE WAY FORWARD

The First Sitting (on Oct. 12, 2014), of the Konkani Language Planning Steering Committee will deliberate upon the above proposals and prepare a detailed questionnaire to be circulated around the world, for feedback, based on which the Second Sitting (on March 29, 2015) will draft the proposed plan, which again will be circulated the world over for further suggestions, rectification and alteration. The 3rd and the Final Sitting of the Steering Committee (on Aug. 22, 2015) will finalise the draft to be presented to the 2nd Global Conclave on Konkani Language Planning, on Aug. 23, 2015; to be passed and implemented. JKS takes full responsibility for the entire process – from initiation to implementation. JKS also realises that it is a life-time commitment and is up to the enormous task.

Click Here for ONLINE GLOBAL KONKANI SURVEY

- One from each house may answer this Questionnaire.
- Please answer all questions honestly, without bias, impartially.-
- Answer questions to the best of your knowledge. Kindly do not hazard a guess.
- The success of this historic process depends entirely on your immediate response.
- Kindly tick all relevant boxes – even more than one where necessary.
- Please encourage others to answer this Questionnaire and to participate in the Survey.
- Your identity will be kept a secret and the information will be used only for the Survey.