'Mog asum', that's how we say it in Konkani and in Goa

Are you ready to walk the talk for Konkani? This was a question that came to mind, arising from the heading of a post that has been popping up on social media over the past few days.

This post, promoting 'The Global Konkani Festival', is calling upon Konkani speakers, supporters, and those who believe in keeping ‘our language, culture, and identity alive’ to move ‘beyond words and into action’.

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What it proposes to do is to ‘revive, celebrate, and energise Konkani in all forms’ — be it music, film, literature, speech, cuisine, art, or storytelling — and it asks those interested to support in whatever manner they can.

Some of the ways in which this can be done, the post states, is by hosting a Konkani event, singing, dancing, or speaking in Konkani on social media, sharing Konkani recipes, books, or stories, or volunteering to help promote Konkani.

What The Global Konkani Festival proposes to do is to ‘revive, celebrate, and energise Konkani in all forms’ — be it music, film, literature, speech, cuisine, art, or storytelling — and it asks those interested to support in whatever manner they can.

One reply to this post asked why it wasn’t written in Konkani. A fair question that arose in my mind too. If those behind the movement are urging people to promote Konkani, shouldn’t the post have been in that language rather than in English?

Curious, and aware that social media can throw up any amount of fake messages, I got in touch with Rene Barreto, who has been spearheading World Goa Day, to determine whether the Konkani Day or Konkani Festivalwas part of World Goa Day. He immediately confirmed it was, and then added that not many global Goans are interested in being a part of World Konkani Day.

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When I pointedly asked him why he had posted it in English, he simply replied, saying, “Because I am not very good in Konkani. I have appealed to our global Goans to do so, but none responded… Mogasum.”

World Goa Day, as many would be aware, is celebrated by the global Goan diaspora across the world on August 20, to commemorate the inclusion of Konkani in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution by the Indian Parliament on August 20, 1992.

World Goa Day, as many would be aware, is celebrated by the global Goan diaspora across the world on August 20

World Goa Day was started by the World Alliance of GoanAssociations on August 20, 2000, for Goans across the world to celebrate their culture and heritage.

It’s been happening for over two decades, and because it is spread out across the world, most Goan associations or groups select a date close to August 20 that is convenient to them, usually the weekend.

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That’s the day when Goansacross the world will celebrate Konkani, yet the significance of the day is perhaps lost in the sounds of the foot-tapping and hip-swaying music that fuels the celebrations.

It is therefore hardly surprising that Rene rues the lack of interest in celebrating World Konkani Day. For most, this is a day for merriment, not one to be reined in by the significance of the date.

That’s the day when Goans across the world will celebrate Konkani, yet the significance of the day is perhaps lost in the sounds of the foot-tapping and hip-swaying music that fuels the celebrations.

That is sad, for Konkani has a limited number of speakers. According to the 2001 Census estimates, Konkani speakers numbered just upward of 24 lakh in India — a paltry 0.19 per cent of the country’s total population. In that decade, from 2001 to 2011, the number of Konkani speakers fell by 9.34 per cent, giving it a negative growth rate.

Against this background, World Konkani Day assumes importance, as there is a large number of unquantifiable Konkani speakers spread across the globe, and they need not all be from Goa. Konkani, in this respect, is vulnerable, and there is a danger that there could be a further fall in the number of speakers.

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The issue here is not how much of an effect World Konkani Day will have on increasing the number of speakers, but that it’s a start — something to build upon in the future. The benefits of making Konkani the official language of the State of Goa and of getting the language included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India seem to be negligible.

Historically, Konkani has not been patronised by those in power. The long Portuguese rule even made attempts to ban the use of the language — but it was the speakers who kept it alive, until the movement for the revival of the languagebegan.

The issue here is not how much of an effect World Konkani Day will have on increasing the number of speakers, but that it’s a start — something to build upon in the future.

The language, therefore, has surmounted hurdles and crises to reach where it is today. But unless there are efforts to imbibe in the younger generations a love for the language, its future is uncertain.

With some luck, World Konkani Day — still a few weeks away, and so with time to promote it further — may help do so in the Goan diaspora. On that note, mog asum.