The Hindu
- Foundation Day of All India Konkani Parishad held in Udupi
- Common script and language should be practiced
- ‘Encourage inter-taluk and inter-district marriages’
Udupi, Jul 9: The Chairman of Prasar Bharati M.V. Kamath said on Sunday that all Konkani people should be united in promoting Konkani language. He was speaking at the Foundation Day function of All India Konkani Parishat, here.
Dr. Kamath said it was necessary to teach the Konkani to children from tender age by the parents. Konkani should be taught in schools. The Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy has been in existence for 15 years. It should strive to promote the language, he said.
Dr. Kamath said there should be a single Konkani. Presently, christians, gouda saraswat brahmins, saraswat Brahmins and others spoke differently.
Among the gouda saraswat brahmins, the Konkani spoken in Kochi is different from the one spoken in Udupi, he said.
Script
Konkani speaking people in Kerala used the Malayalam script while those in Karnataka and Goa used Kannada and Devanagari scripts, respectively.
It would better if all Konkani speaking people used a single script - Devanagari. Importance should be given to proper pronunciation of words, Dr. Kamath said.
Advice
Konkani speaking people should regularly gather at a place and talk in Konkani. Inter-taluk and inter-district marriages should be practiced, he said. Konkani people should give their daughters and sons in marriage to people outside their own taluks and districts, Dr. Kamath said.
The president of Dr. T.M.A. Pai Foundation K.K. Pai said a permanent secretariat should be established at Goa to promote the language.
Efforts should be made to promote Devanagari as script for Konkani language, he said.
Episcopal Vicar of Udupi district Baptist Menezes, president of All India Konkani Parishat Paul Moras, executive president Sadanand Kanekar, general secretary Gokuldas Prabhu, Chancellor of Manipal University T. Ramdas Pai, and secretary of Dr. T.M.A. Pai Foundation H.V. Kamath and others were present.