Panaji: A Konkani writer has lashed out at the Church in Goa for what he said was attempt to suppress the Indian culture and ethos.
The Church in Goa is doing what the Portuguese could not do to finish Indian culture, Nagesh Karmali alleged at a function to release a book on Goan identity.
Karmali, president of the All Goa Freedom Fighters Association, said the Church’s attempt to promote English medium at primary level and use of Roman script for Konkani language are all part of a design to suppress the Indian culture, goanews.com reported.
“The suppression by Church today is much larger than the way Portuguese suppressed it in the 16th and 17th century,” he alleged.
He criticized the western Indian state government for “its shameful act” of spending 3 million rupees annually to promote Roman script for Konkani. According to him the Roman is “the most unscientific script of Konkani.”
“The protagonists of Roman script are not bothered about Konkani but actually are promoting English in the state,” he alleged.
Christians in Goa prefer Roman script for Konkani that has no script of its own. It is also written in Devnagri, Kannada and Malayalam.
Karmali also asked protagonists of Marathi why did not protest promotion of English as the medium of instruction.
“Making two languages – Konkani and Marathi – the official languages of the state will create more problems, rather than resolving it,” he asserted.
Karmali released the book ‘Osmitayecho Kasay’ written by this year’s Sahitya Academy award winner Adv Uday Bhembre.
Bhembre, who also spoke at the function, said time has come for the 75 percent to rise up against the domination of 25 percent Goans, without identifying the groups.
According to the 2011 census, 25 percent of Goa’s 1.82 million people are Christian and 66 percent Hindu. The rest are Muslims and other groups.
The Christian population is “almost entirely Catholic,” and Goan Catholics form a significant ethno-religious group.
“The Goa government is acting under the pressure of 25 percent, for the simple reason that 75 percent are silent. Time has come to show the strength of the majority,” Bhembre said.
The whole Goan society is ailing with chronic disease and surgery is the only solution to it, not simple treatment, he added.
“My articles in the book are an attempt to awaken the Goan society, which has not marched forward the way it had to, after Goa’s liberation,” the writer added.
Babali Naik, whom Bhembre dedicated his book to for his contribution to the official language agitation, said Konkani movement needs to have a political direction. “We need to have maximum number of Konkani supporters in the Goa Assembly,” he said.
The Portuguese conquered Goa in 1510 held it as its colony until 1961 when the India annexed it through an army operation.
Goa was the center of Christianity in the east.
However, the Christian population continued to decline since 1851 when the percentage of Christian population was 64 percent and Hindus 36 percent.
Panaji: A Konkani writer has lashed out at the Church in Goa for what he said was attempt to suppress the Indian culture and ethos.
The Church in Goa is doing what the Portuguese could not do to finish Indian culture, Nagesh Karmali alleged at a function to release a book on Goan identity.
Karmali, president of the All Goa Freedom Fighters Association, said the Church’s attempt to promote English medium at primary level and use of Roman script for Konkani language are all part of a design to suppress the Indian culture, goanews.com reported.
“The suppression by Church today is much larger than the way Portuguese suppressed it in the 16th and 17th century,” he alleged.
He criticized the western Indian state government for “its shameful act” of spending 3 million rupees annually to promote Roman script for Konkani. According to him the Roman is “the most unscientific script of Konkani.”
“The protagonists of Roman script are not bothered about Konkani but actually are promoting English in the state,” he alleged.
Christians in Goa prefer Roman script for Konkani that has no script of its own. It is also written in Devnagri, Kannada and Malayalam.
Karmali also asked protagonists of Marathi why did not protest promotion of English as the medium of instruction.
“Making two languages – Konkani and Marathi – the official languages of the state will create more problems, rather than resolving it,” he asserted.
Karmali released the book ‘Osmitayecho Kasay’ written by this year’s Sahitya Academy award winner Adv Uday Bhembre.
Bhembre, who also spoke at the function, said time has come for the 75 percent to rise up against the domination of 25 percent Goans, without identifying the groups.
According to the 2011 census, 25 percent of Goa’s 1.82 million people are Christian and 66 percent Hindu. The rest are Muslims and other groups.
The Christian population is “almost entirely Catholic,” and Goan Catholics form a significant ethno-religious group.
“The Goa government is acting under the pressure of 25 percent, for the simple reason that 75 percent are silent. Time has come to show the strength of the majority,” Bhembre said.
The whole Goan society is ailing with chronic disease and surgery is the only solution to it, not simple treatment, he added.
“My articles in the book are an attempt to awaken the Goan society, which has not marched forward the way it had to, after Goa’s liberation,” the writer added.
Babali Naik, whom Bhembre dedicated his book to for his contribution to the official language agitation, said Konkani movement needs to have a political direction. “We need to have maximum number of Konkani supporters in the Goa Assembly,” he said.
The Portuguese conquered Goa in 1510 held it as its colony until 1961 when the India annexed it through an army operation.
Goa was the center of Christianity in the east.
However, the Christian population continued to decline since 1851 when the percentage of Christian population was 64 percent and Hindus 36 percent.