Konkani works in all scripts must be considered for awards: Ozerio

Konkani works in all scripts must be considered for awards: Ozerio

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore May 19: Mandd Sobhann Gurkar Mr. Eric Ozerio criticized the Kendra Sahithya Academy’s decision of declaring the Devanagari script as the official script for Konkani language. Speaking to media persons at Press Club on May 19, Wednesday, Ozerio said that the academy plans to confer awards only on Konkani works in Devanagari scripts and not on Konkani works written in other scripts such as Roman and Kannada. He accused the academy of attempting to divide the Konkani-speaking community by playing script politics. 

He informed journalists that Edwin J. F. D’Souza, the member of the general council for Konkani at the Sahithya Academy has discussed the issue with the Language Development Board of India. Ozerio demanded that all the scripts used for writing Konkani should be considered for awards. A number of scripts such as Arabic, Malayali, Kannada, Devnagari, and Roman are used to write Konkani. 

An ad-hoc committee of Konkani litterateurs has been formed to settle the issue. A liberation convention will be held on May 23 at St. Aloysius College Auditorium to discuss the issue and find solutions for it. 

President of Konkani Academy Kundapur Narayan Kharvi, Edwin J. F. D’Souza, Marcel D’Souza, C. G. S. Taccode, and others were present during the press conference.