We need to embrace Konkani across geographical, political, anthropological, religious boundaries if we are to resist the monoculturing of our mother-tongue
The future of Romi script cannot be outside Konkani. Every script of Konkani has a future in the Konkani world. Although, there has been a consistent effort to declare the death of Konkani in Romi script in our days by several Konkani lovers of the nagri position, Romi Konkani has refused to die much like it did when Portuguese colonizers tried to suppress it.
It is the speakers, writers, readers and lovers of Romi Konkani that have kept it alive down the lane of time that runs through a period of many centuries.
Therefore, the glorious past of Romi Konkani and the powerful resilience of its people have to be considered along with several challenges it has to face in our days to envision a future for Romi Konkani today.
While setting out on this noble task, maybe we can begin with the celebration of its refusal to die at the hands of colonizers as well as those of our very own who seem to mimic the colonizers in form while subscribing to nagri alone for Konkani in matter and form.
One can trace a powerful integrating past in the movement of Romi Konkani down its rich history which can assist us to respond to de-konkanising of plural Konkanis (derecognizing the others of nagri Konkani inflicted by the nagri movement in recent days) that we have to face in the living present and the coming future.
Although the nagraization of Konkani is more recent and cannot be compared to the long life span of Roman Konkani, its champions have the power of the state apparatus which they have tried to employ to suppress Romi Konkani in several ways.
These attempts to crucify Romi Konkani are painful and have hurt all lovers of Konkani in Romi script but it failed to dampen their spirit and we can see how lovers of the Romi script have emerged with an intense resolve and determination to keep the flag of Romi Konkani flying high. The recent claims of some people in Goa that the nagri script had a modi ancestry in Goa is again confusing.
In fact, this tall speech at least proves to important things: firstly, it has been established that with the coming of the nagri script under British colonizers, the modi script in Maharashtra was destroyed. Secondly, nagri is different in matter and form but is related in part to the modi script, hence may be difficult to sustain that Modi is ancient form of nagri.
It can at the most open us to the plural forms (other kind) of nagri scripts which may not be acceptable to its die hard supporters.
Romi followers may not have difficulty accepting the modi script which was invented in the 17th century as a script of Konkani if there are documents in Konakni in Goa in that medium.
If these documents only exist in Marathi, how can this be the ancient script of Konkani? Besides, late Dr Olivino Gomes has already taught that there is a kandvi script that is used to write the records of Gavkarias in Goa.
All these scripts may qualify to be the scripts of Konkani although they are no longer in use. This openness to modi and kandvi scripts is in keeping with the inclusive spirit of romi followers.
The embrace of Konkani in its totality across geographical, political, anthropological and religious boundaries has both ennobled and enriched the Konkani movement and has to a large extent become a great weapon of resistance against the homogenisation and monoculturing of our mother-tongue Konkani that we are still challenged to address today.
This is why the future of Romi Konkani cannot be envisioned outside this ennobling and integrating Konkani movement that keeps the Konkanis in their plurality into its embrace.
This embrace is 360 degrees wide and there is no Konkani outside this embrace.
Therefore, the challenge is to take these strengths of the Romi Konkani movement into its future.
This will require us to continue to hold on to what may be thought of as ‘thinking Konkani 360 degrees' - in its totality and plurality while working for the progress of Konkani in the Romi script.
It is only through this embrace with other Konkanis that any Konkani can progress. Indeed, it is in this 360-degree embrace of romi Konkani that nagri Konkani in Goa has its future too.
(Look out for Part-II in this series next week)
