Pics: Dayananda Kukkaje

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (JS)

Mangaluru, Aug 25: A two-day UGC sponsored national seminar on 'Konkani speaking people of coastal Karnataka and their Anglo-Portuguese connection’ was jointly organised by Besant Evening College, Besant Women’s College, Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy, Konkani Study Chair, Mangalore University on Tuesday August 23 and 24. 

“When a language is saved from extinction, its culture, lifestyle and celebrations are also saved. Every Konkani home must encourage their children to speak the mother tongue and influence their surroundings. As per today's UNESCO report, extinction rate of languages is alarming. Every 14th day, one language dies at a faster pace than mammals or birds. If this continues, globally about 7,000 languages will mark their end by 2100. Hence, a language like Konkani must be preserved by every additional person who learns it,” said J R Lobo, MLA, Mangaluru South, in his address to the delegates after the inauguration.

Quoting the incidents in Australia, Palestine, Iran and England, he explained how governments took initiatives to popularize dying local languages after understanding the importance of saving a language with all its virtues for the future generation. The richness, the skills of life, the secret knowledge get forgotten when the language dies, he added.

“Sanskrit once ruled the universities and was a storehouse of important knowledge, but today it is not studied in depth. Valuable scriptures may lay futile if people do not prioritize language learning. The duty of every citizen is to speak, read, write his or her own language with a sense of pride and duty."

Basti Vaman Shenoy, director Vishwa Konkani Kendra, was one among the guests on the dais. He said, "The language that flourished over five thousand years due to the migration of people in different parts of India and the halt of Konkanis in Goa is a big chapter in history. Konkanis were involved in foreign trade and public administration and education since thousands of years. There are records to prove this fact. The Konkani community involves not only Brahmins and Christians but also many other communities."

“Portuguese assaulted the language and its culture in Goa. The people of Tulunadu provided shelter and love to the migrated Konkanis. Tulunadu has given scope for their development by helping them establish, trade, educational institutions, temples, churches and banks etc. Languages like Konkani, Pali and Sanskrit are to be invoked with everyone's help. Scholars from any community and background are needed for this work. It is not the job of one institution or one generation alone,” said Basti Vaman Shenoy.

Roy Castelino, chairman, Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy said, "The main purpose of organizing the seminar is to introduce Konkani people and their origin and culture to non Konkanis. Konkani language is recognized in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution as one of the national languages."

"Konkani found its place through the great struggle of many Konkani leaders. 2016 is the Silver Jubilee year for Konkani, but not the 25th year of its existence as a national language. Konkani is a very historical language, perhaps as historical as Sanskrit which is around 8000 years old. There are hints to prove this. Konkanis belong to Indo Aryans of North India and the language has relations with Bengali, Gujarathi, Marathi, Bhojpuri and Kashmiri. Konkanis have travelled through 75 percent of India and imbibed the language and culture of the places wherever they secured themselves."

"River Saraswathi is called the credal of the Konkanis. The river does not flow today due to some earthly condition but the river flows submerged. Konkani is a rich community with many different communities involved who have contributed distinctively towards the progress of this country."

He added that a lot of research needs to be done to fully understand the unique community called Konkanis.

Dr Sathish Kumar Shetty, in his introductory speech said, "Today Konkanis are harmonious and industrious. Nearly 41 castes and communities belong to Hindu, Muslim, Christian communities ranging from Brahmins to nomadic people and have kept alive the language by their ardent love for it. The main objective of the seminar is to create awareness about Konkani speaking people, reflect upon their origin, identity and ethnicity and their contribution and research that has gone into studying these."

Dr Carmelita Goveas, principal of Besant Evening College welcomed the gathering. She disclosed that she is Konkani speaking and very proud to organize this first Konkani national level seminar which is epoch making.

Kudpi Jagadish Shenoy, president, Women’s National Education Society, in his presidential speech said, "Besant feels great pride in serving the cause for this historical language."

Dr Jayavantha Nayak, co-ordinator, Konkani Adhyayana Peeta, Mangalore University, K Devananda Pai-correspondent of Besant Women’s College, Dr Alan Machado, author and researcher from Bengaluru were on stage.

In the technical session Alan Machado, author of 'Sarasvati's Children’ (A history of Mangalurean Catholics) spoke on origin, ethnicity, identity and migration of the Konkani Speaking People. Shakunthala Kini, senior announcer (retd) Akashavani, Mangaluru and Eddi Sequeira, dramatist and artist, spoke on 'Famous Konkani in music, art, theatre and films'. Dr Jayavanth Nayak, associate professor, University College and co-ordinator, Konkani Adhyayana Peeta, Mangaluru University, spoke on Konkani speaking communities of coastal Karnataka.

Delegates presented papers on related topics. There were about 45 papers on different topics related to the Konkani language, culture and migration. Folk artistes from Siddies and Kudumi communities performed an entertainment programme, Naach Sobhan organized in the evening.

The valedictory function was held here at Besant Evening College on August 24.

Professor Valerian Rodrigues, former professor, JNU and national fellow, Indian Council for Social Science Research congratulated the organizers and listed out a few of the problems faced by the Konkani language. Konkani speakers are widely scattered across several communities with distinct religio-cultural and political affiliations which have come to occupy stronger grounds than their affiliations with Konkani."

"People may notionally say 'let's make our children speak Konkani', but eventually how long it will work out. Let us not be very comfortable saying that we have seen globalization and we will survive globalization. We must fight for the language which is strong enough to take on the world."

Pradeep G Pai, managing director Hangyo Ice Cream Pvt Ltd said, "Wherever we - Konkani speaking people have been, we have established educational institutions, trade, commerce and other forms of business. People of Tulunadu have accepted us and so I thank them. We should build up the pride of Konkani and thereby preserve our culture and language."

In the two day seminar about 26 papers were presented on the topic 'Konkani speaking people of coastal Karnataka and their Anglo-Portuguese connection' and about seven technical sessions were held with various resource persons.