We need to commend our very own Goan writer and thinker Datta Damodar Naik for having generously provided funding of one Crore to our Konkani Bhasha Mandal towards the very worthy cause of promoting and protecting our Konkani language.
Our language is a symbol of our identity and everything possible needs to be done to ensure that the coming generations are assimilated in the process of keeping the spirit of our language alive.
I can recollect the names of some Konkani protagonists in Goa. To name just a few, Uday Bhembre, late Chandrakant Keni, Damodar Mauzo, Prashant Naik, Anant Agni, Prakash Paryekar, Raju Nayak, Hema Naik, Pundalik Naik, Jayanti Naik, Vincy Quadros, Michael Gracias, Jose Salvador Fernandes, Uday Mhambro, Dilip Borkar, Jyoti Kuncalienkar, Jose Lourenco, Kamlakar Mhalshi, Madhav Borkar, Antonio Piedade Moraes and of course our dear son-in-law of Ribandar Tomazinho Cardozo. All their contribution towards the promotion of Konkani has been enormous. For the sake of Goa and Konkani may this tribe grow.
The grim reality is that Goa today is sadly at the crossroads. It is anguishing that not much is being done in Goa to promote and preserve our Konkani. Ironically more Konkani is spoken at Hounslow and Southhall in London than in the Panjim market in our Goa. Alarming signs of the times. Have we long passed the wakeup call time?
