Team Goemkarponn
MARGAO: In an effort to change the Official Language Act and support the use of Roman writing in addition to Devanagari script for the Konknni language in schools, the Global Konknni Forum (GKF) has put out a draft bill.
The goal of this draft, which the forum considers vital to the state’s cultural legacy, is to guarantee the continuation and advancement of both scripts when it is presented to the Goa Legislative Assembly.
Kennedy Afonso, the president of GKF, emphasized the need to maintain Konkani in its Roman script form by referring to Article 29 (1) of the Indian Constitution, which protects minorities’ rights to their culture and language.
Afonso contends that both the Roman and Devanagari scripts have played significant roles in Goan history and culture and that both ought to be given equal weight in public discourse and education.
The draft resolution contends that the most recent National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 offers a favorable foundation for this action, and it is reportedly scheduled to be introduced in the Assembly, according to GKF.
“The NEP does not mandate any one script or language on educational institutions; instead, it promotes instruction in one’s mother tongue, home language, or regional language,” it states
The GKF said that that this policy supports their desire that Konknni be taught in Roman script in schools where it is appropriate given the community’s language and cultural preferences.
