TSKK press release

Panaji, Jan 21:  Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr (TSKK), Goa, has earnestly appealed to all Konkanis spread throughout the world and those who love and care about the survival of Konkani, to boycott and openly show their protest during the forthcoming Konkani Conference organized by All India Konkani Parishad (AIKP) at Panaji from February 10 to 12, 2006. The reasons for the boycott and protest are serious in nature, says the press release, and they are as follows:

1. AIKP instead of respecting the varieties of Konkani and thereby forging unity among the various regions, communities, dialects and scripts (namely, Roman and Kannada along with Devanagari) has caused irreparable damage to the unity of Konkanis, by adopting a retrograde policy of "ek lipi, ek bhas, ek sahitya, ek samaz" (one script, one dialect/language, one literature, one community).

2. Through its above mentioned communal policy, the All India Konkani Parishad is sowing the seed of communal division, hatred and disharmony in Goa and among Konkanis spread throughout the country.

3. Through manipulative politics AIKP has attempted to impose one script (Devanagari script) and one dialect on all others (a) at the Sahitya Akademi level (b) at the Goa Government level (c) at the other State Governments level (especially in Karnataka).

4. In the name of development of Konkani, AIKP promotes exclusively Devanagari script to perpetuate its monopoly and hegemony.

5. AIKP does not accept the basic demand of a large section of the Goan Community. The demand is to include Roman script as the official script of Konkani side by side with Devanagari script in the Goa Official Language Act 1987. Similarly AIKP does not respect and accept the demand of Konkanis to teach Konkani in schools in Kannada script in Karnataka.

6. AIKP has remained an 'Exclusive Club' of a fistful of persons and organizations to get funds from Govt. and the public to organize unproductive conferences. No genuine attempt has been made either to include active registered bodies into the AIKP or promote Konkani language and literature.

7. More than 65 years of its existence, AIKP has never ever tried to expand the Konkani movement into territories where Konkani exists but where Konkani organizations don't. The southern districts of Maharashtra are a clear example.

8. All India Konkani Parishad is not a Registered Society. Hence it has no legal status and right to ask for, or to receive Govt. grants, subsidy and funds.

9. On 23 January 1978 an institution called All India Konkani Sahitya Parishad was registered as a Society in Goa. Its Registration number was 6/78. However, this Society never renewed its registration not even once. To renew the registration of a Society Audited Accounts and Secretary's Report must be submitted annually to the Registrar and Head of Notary Services. Since All India Konkani Sahitya Parishad never renewed its registration, we presume that it never submitted the audited accounts to the Registrar and Head of Notary Services. Hence All India Konkani Parishad ceased to exist. It is truly an unrepresentative body which has no legal
existence and whose functioning is opposed to all democratic norms.

10. AIKP has no legal or moral right to represent Konkanis spread throughout the country, because it has been working against the unity of Konkanis

11. A coterie of writers who control AIKP also control and manipulate practically all the matters related to Konkani at the Goa Govt. and Central Govt. departments and institutions.

12. The same old people preside over the proceedings at the conferences organized by AIKP. The same old topics and issues are discussed. The same old resolutions are passed, and thereafter these resolutions are conveniently forgotten. AIKP does not have the vision, the initiative, the personnel or the infrastructure to implement or even to follow up these resolutions.

If the AIKP cannot be forgiven for all the above sins arising out of acts of omission, it can never be absolved of its many sins of commission. The time has come for Konkanis to voice their opinion against this oppressive institution AIKP. Unity among people can never be achieved by imposition of one script and one dialect over the others. 'Unity in Diversity' meaning unity by accepting the three major scripts (Roman, Devanagari and Kannada) and the various dialects, is the only formula which can bring Konkanis together, and assure the very survival of Konkani.

The least the Konkanis could do is:

1. Boycott the Konkani Conference scheduled on 10 to 12 February 2006.

2. Take active part in the protest meetings which will be held outside the Conference premises from 10 to 12 February 2006.

3. Bring pressure on the Goa Govt. not to give grants/subsidy, funds for the Konkani conference to be held from 10 to 12 February 2006 at Panaji.

4. Openly expose and protest against AIKP's misdeeds.

5. Make them answerable to the people and the courts of law.

Further, the TSKK asks the Konkanis to act at once without delay, lest history should blame the present generation.