rayan b. des ai politics of script: tiie case of konkani

457 Pages·2013·6.04 MB·English

POLITICS OF SCRIPT: TIIE CASE OF KONKANI (1961 - 1992)
THESIS SUBMITTED
TO
GOA UNIVERSITY
FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
IN
POLITICAL SCIENCE
BY
RAYAN B. DES AI
PONDA -GOA
RESEARCH GUIDE
DR. PETER RONALD deSOUZA
PROFESSOR AND HEAD
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIFNCE
GOA UNIVERSITY
TALEIGAG
GOA
2002
DEDICATED
TO
MY PARENTS
SHRI. BHASKAR DATTARAM DESAI
AND
SOU. NIRMALA BHASKAR DESAI
DECLARATION
I, Narayan Bhaskar Desai, hereby declare that this thesis entitled
`POLITICS OF SCRIPT: THE CASE OF KONKANI (1961-1992)' is
the outcome of my own study undertaken under the guidance of Dr.
Peter Ronald deSouza, Professor and Head, Department of Political
Science, Goa University. It has not previously formed the basis for the
award of any degree, diploma or certificate of this or any other
University. I have already acknowledged all the sources used by me in
the preparation of this thesj,s -;,1----i-
(")
\ -74
- (cid:9) (cid:127) (cid:127)
3 og,), 00
Dated: NARAYA B. DESAI
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the thesis entitled POLITICS OF SCRIPT: THE
CASE OF KONKANI (1961 — 1992) submitted by Mr. Narayan B. Desai, for
the award of degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science, is the record
of the original work done by him under my supervision. The result of the
research presented in this thesis has not previously formed the basis for the
award of any other degree or diploma or certificate of this or any other
University.
TALEIGAO — GOA Peter Ronald deSouza
3 D December 2002 Research Guide
Professor & Head
Department of Political Science
Goa University, Goa
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (cid:9) i - vii
CHAPTER I : SOCIO-HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF (cid:9) 1 - 66
KONKANI
N
GOA — CULTURAL AND POLITICAL LApSCAPE (cid:9) 1
Goa: Geography and Topography - Myth and
Text - History Till Portuguese Colonialism -
Cultural Aspect - Language Scenario.
COLONIAL EXPERIENCE UNDER THE PORTUGUESE 16
Socio-cultural Transformation - Impact On
Language - Language Policy.
(cid:9)
LIBERATION AND LANGUAGE 36
The early Phase — Crucial Period - Goa and the
Konkani Identity -Language in the Liberation
Struggle.
(cid:9)
LANGUAGE IDENTITY AND POLITICS 57
(cid:9)
ISSUES AND QUESTIONS 60
(cid:9)
STRUCTURE AND METHOD 62
CHAPTER II :MAPPING THE KONKANI LANGUAGE (cid:9) 67-144
LANDSCAPE
LANGUAGE AND THE MAKING OF THE MODERN (cid:9) 67
POLITY
Language As A Group Marker - Language and
power.
(cid:9)
INDIAN LANGUAGE DEBATE 72
National and Official language -English and
Regional languages - Language Movements -
Linguistic States.
EVOLUTION OF KONKANI IDENTITIES (cid:9) 81
Migration - Role of the Metropolis — Leadership-
Economic Factors.
MULTIPLE LANGUAGE DYNAMICS ALONG THE (cid:9) 98
KONKAN
Bombay As a Cosmopolitan Setting
Mangalore: Communal Divide
Cochin — The Caste As Language
Goa — The Caste — Community Combine
Inter-Language Scenario.
(cid:9)
GOA : KONKANI LANGUAGE MOVEMENT 118
Autonomy and The Oponion Poll - Educational
and Literary Status - Official Language Agitation -
Political Factors - Language Agitation - Role of the
Saraswats - Catholic Concerns - Bahujan Samaj-
Medium of Instruction Issue.
CHAPTER III : SCRIPT AS A DRESS CODE (cid:9) 145-220
KONKANI AND ITS SCRIPTS (cid:9) 145
LITERARY HISTORY IN DIFFERENT SCRIPTS (cid:9) 151
Work in Devanagari - Contribution of Roman
Script - Kannada Scenario - Malayalam Script and
Konkani.
CAUSES OF MULTI -LITERALISM(cid:9) 174
Political Factors - Cultural factors -Economic
Factors
INTERNAL ECONOMY OF KONKANI AND SCRIPT (cid:9) 185
ISSUE
Scripts In Goan Situation -Predicament of
Kannada Users- Malayalam Script and Konkani
Speakers - Metropolitan Mosaic- Script As
Language.
LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL CONCERNS (cid:9) 197
SOCIO-POLITICAL PERSPECTIVES (cid:9) 210
SCRIPT, LANGUAGE, CULTURE AND IDENTITY (cid:9) 215
CHAPTER IV :REGIONAL DYNAMICS OF(cid:9) 221-281
LANGUAGE AND SCRIPTS
REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF ASSOCIATIONS (cid:9) 222
North Kanara — Opportunity Not Taken -
Metropolitan problems - Kerala — Caste Contests -
South Kanara — The Real Battle-ground.
(cid:9)
LINGUISTIC MINORITY ISSUE 259
(cid:9)
LANGUAGE AND THE IDENTITY ISSUE 266
Language in Education
THE TURNING POINT (cid:9) 278
CHAPTER V : THE CHANGING POLITICS (cid:9) 282-339
OF RECOGNITION
Mobilisation for Konkani - Official Language
Agitation and the Act - State Representative on the
Sahitya Akademi - Promotion of Konkani in Goa
University - Revamping of Goa Konkani Akademi -
Sahitya Akademi Awards - TSKK and Dalgado
Academy - KBM and GKA - Parishad Presidents'
Resentment -State Policy and Activists' Response
CHAPTER VI : ACHIEVEMENTS AND DILEMMAS(cid:9) 340-368
OF THE MOVEMENT
BIBLIOGRAPHY (cid:9) 369-434
APPENDIX - I (cid:9) 435-440
APPENDIX -II (cid:9) 441-442
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This study is the result of a continuous dialogue on the issues related
to Goa and Goans in which I was engaged by Dr. Peter Ronald deSouza, my
teacher and Research Guide. I have no words to thank him for his passion for
incessant intellectual interaction, patience with my peculiar predeliction for
Konkani literature more than the language, and most of all, for his
perseverence in boosting my spirit all through the period of my research. I
would prefer to remain indebted to Prof. de Souza for all that he has done to
provide direction, insights and inspiration in my work.
I could take up the study only because of the immense understanding
shown by the Managing Committee of Shri Nirakar Education Society in
general and its Office-bearers — both present and past - in particular. Special
mention has to be made of Shri. Prasad Lolayekar, the ex-Chairman, Shri.
Prashant Naik, the present Chairman and Shri. Mohandas Lolayekar,
Manager of S. S. Angle Hr. Sec. School where I have been working. I take
this opportunity to thank them all. I also thank all my colleagues in the
teaching faculty and administrative section of the institution for bearing with
my uncertain schedules and for fulfilling my on-the-spot demands related to
school work during the period of this study. Mr. Vassalo Carvalho, who
handled the school affairs efficiently during the period of my study leave,
deserves special thanks.
ii
My sincere thanks to the Director of Education, Government of Goa,
for considering my request for Study Leave, and to the Government of Goa
for granting me the leave to pursue my research work. I am grateful
particularly to Shri. K. B. Marathe and Shri. Anil Powar for their advice and
to other officers in the Directorate, who extended co-operation in the matter.
In my field work I received help, guidance and assistance from various
Konkani organisations and individuals active in different regions in coastal
South India. It is not possible to name everyone but Konkani Bhasha Prachar
Sabha, Konkani Language Institute and Kerala Konkani Academy — all from
Kerala, also Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy, Mandd Sobhann, Konkani
Bhasha Mandal Karnataka, Institute of Konkani from Mangalore,
Rashtrakavi Govind Pai Samshodhana Kendra at Udupi, Konkani Bhasha
Mandal of Mumbai and those from Goa such as Konkani Bhasha Mandal,
Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendra and Goa Konkani Akademi have been
helpful. Shri. Vasudev Shanbhag (Sirsi, Uttara Kannada), Shri. Eric Ozario
(Jeppu, Mangalore), Shri. R. S. Bhaskar (Amaravathy, Kochi) have spent
their time and energy in arranging the visits and interview schedules in their
respective areas and also helped by providing print material relevant to my
querries and enquiries. In Kerala Adv. H. B. Shenoy (Ernakulam), Shri. N.
Purushothama Mallaya (Kochi), Shri. N. Shivanand Shennai (Kottayam),
Shri. K. K. Subramanyam (Cherai), Shri. P. G. Kamath (Trichur) provided
me with deeper insights into the specific issues, whereas in Karnataka I was
guided in this respect by Shri. Basti Vaman Shenoy, Shri. Lawrence Lobo,
111
Prof. Shripati Tantri (all in Mangalore), Dr. H. Shantharam (Manipal), Shri.
Gopal Gowda (Yedapadavu), Rev. Dr. A. F. D'Souza (Vamanjoor) , Rev. Fr.
Mark Valdar (Thannirbavi) and many others. Adv. Bernard D'Souza and
John Fernandes as well as John Mendes provided me an opportunity to travel
with them to have personal interaction with members of their Bardeskar
community settled above the ghats and on the Konkan coast in Sindhudurg
district of Maharashtra. Guidance from Prof. Ram Bapat, Prof. Sadanand
More and Dr. L. M. Khubchandani of Pune helped a great deal in
understanding the issues better. Dr. Jose Pereira (U.S.A.), Dr. Rocky Miranda
(Mysore), Dr. William Madtha (Dharwad), Prof. R. K. Agnihotri (Delhi),
Prof. N: N. Anandan and Dr. C. K. Kareem ( both from Kerala) not only
responded to my letters but also provided me the material and information I
sought. I am grateful to them for their kind words of encouragement and
valuable guidance.
In Goa Shri. Pundalik Naik, Shri. R. V. Jogalekar, Shri. R. N. Phene, Shri.
Felicio Cardoso, Fr. Pratap Naik and Shri. Bhiku Pai Angle enriched me with
their perspectives on language controversy and its socio-political
undercurrents. I thank all of them. All others whom I could meet and talk to
during the visits and interviews also deserve thanks. I should make a special
mention of the nonagenarian K. N. Rao of Dandeli for his youthful narrative
and the lone crusader Fr. C. C. A. Pai (Swami Supriya) of Haliyal, (who
passed away recently), for his words of courage.