Romi Konkani, hanging on a cliff
Peter RaposoPeter Rapose considers himself "just a five-year-old
priest" given the responsibility of editing a
seventy-year-old Konkani weekly. Says he modestly: "The
only thing I have besides my priestly studues is a
Diploma in Journalism from Xavier's Mumbai and a lot of
enthusiasm to do the best I can." The enthusiasm shows;
recently the publication he edits put up its website
(something other larger publications in Goa don't take
seriously) at http://www.v-ixtt.com. He has earlier
worked for three years in Bombay Archdiocese.
To say that Roman-script Konknni journalism did not
make a mark would be a fallacy. However, that it did
not maintain and live up to the challenges of modern
day journalism is a fact that caused its very decline.
The total number of Konknni-speaking people spread in
India (Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala) and
scattered across smaller pockets across the world is
five million (or, 50 lakh). This population of
Konknni-speaking people is further divided between
people who write the language and read it in four
different scripts: Devnagri, Roman, Kannada, and the
Malayalam script. While the Konknni people of Kerala
use the Malayalam script and Konknni people of
Karnataka use the Kannada script, the Devanagiri and
Roman divides the Konknni people of Goa and coastal Maharashtra.
Among the four scripts, the population that understands
or follows Roman script (RS) Konknni would be around
300,000 to 400,000 approximately. (This is a rough
calculation based on the 1991 census.) However, going
by facts and figures of Konknni journalism on the
whole, we could definitely put Roman script Konknni journalism
as the fore runner.
A Brief History of Roman Konknni Journalism
The first Konknni weekly Udentichem Sallok was
published in Pune by Edward Bruno D'Souza in 1899. It
started as a monthly periodical which later became
fortnightly. In 1894 it was closed down. It came out in
Konknni-Portuguese. In 1891, O Luzo-Concanim was
published. It was a bilingual weekly in
Konknni-Portuguese. Aleixo Caitano Jose Francisco was
its editor.
From 1892 to 1897, A Luz, O Bombaim Esse, A Luo, O
Intra Jijent, O Opiniao Nacional Konknni-Portuguese
weeklies were published. In 1907 Sanjechem Nokhetr was
born. B F Cabral was the editor of this paper. Since it
was published from Mumbai, this paper carried Mumbai
(then called Bombay) news in detail. We can say that
this periodical is the first newspaper in Konknni.
Soon after this Roldao Noronha started a monthly named
Katolik Sovostkai, which later became a fortnightly and
then ceased publication. In 1907, Honarato Furtado and
Francis Xavier Furtado published a weekly named O Goano
from Mumbai. This weekly was independently divided into
three parts: Portuguese, Konknni and English. In 1912
Konkan Magazine a monthly magazine was started by
Joaquim Campose. In 1914, a monthly named Dor
Mhoineachi Rotti came into existence in Karachi. Fr.
Vincent Lobo and Fr. Ludovic Pereira were instrumental
in starting this magazine and it had a circulation of
8,000 subscribers. Today, the same Rotti is published
and printed in Goa; Fr. Moreno de Souza is the present
editor.
In 1916, Sebastiao Xavier Vaz started Amigo do Povo, a
Konknni-English weekly. In 1919 O Goano and O Amigo do
Povo were combined and named O Amigo do Povo Goano,
which continued as a Konknni-English weekly. Manuel
Fernandes was the editor. It stopped in 1926. In 1919,
three more periodicals were stated in Mumbai -- Ave
Maria (Konknni-English-Portuguese), edited by Antonio
D'Cruz, Goa Mail, a Konknni-English periodical edited
by Dr. Vasco da Gama and F X Afonso, and Popular
Magazine (first as monthly and then as fortnightly)
which was edited by Joaquim Jose Silvestre.
Amcho Sonvsar, a weekly, was started in 1927 by Jose
Caitan Francis De Souza. It was purely in Konknni. In
1930 Agnus Dei, a Konknni-English monthly was started
and went on being published for 13 years. Fr. Alarich
Pereira and Joaquim Felix Pereira looked after this
periodical. In the same year, Respecio Alfonso and
Roque Pereira started a weekly called Goa Times. It
came out first in Konknni-English and, then, only in
Konknni. Dr Simon C Fernandes was the editor of Goa
Times.
In 1932 Antonio Vincente D'Cruz started a small-sized
daily named Konknni Bulletin. This was published from
Mumbai and it too continued for 13 years. In 1933, Joao
Lazarus De Souza started the Goan Observer, a
Konknni-English daily. In 1934 Inacio Caitano Carvalho
started Emigrant, a weekly which later on turned to a
daily.
In 1930, Luis de Menezes started a weekly from Goa
named Amcho Ganv. In 1932, two other Portuguese-Konknni
periodicals came into existence: Porjecho Adhar, which
was started by Jose Baptist Vaz, lasted for 30 years
and Padri Jose Vaz, which was started by Francis Xavier
D'Costa.
In 1933 Vauraddeancho Ixtt, a Konknni weekly was
started by Fr. Arsencio Fernandes and Fr.Graciano
Moraes. It is still run by the Pilar Society till date.
This writer is its present editor. In 1934 Gova Nova, a
Konknni-English-Portuguese weekly, was started by
Venktesh Alvekar.
From 1936-50 Mhojem Magazin, Catholic Indian, Amcho
Sonvsar, Novem Jivit, Goenkrancho Ixtt, Gova Kamgar,
Gomantak, Porjecho Ulas, Gova, Chabuk, Golden Goa,
Konkan Times, Sontos, Aitarachem Vachop, O Heraldo,
Konknni Journal, Tujem Raj Amkam Ieum, all from Mumbai
were in existence. Besides these, Udentechem Nekhetr,
Niz Goa, Jai Gomantak, Gomant Bharti, Voice of Goa,
Azad Goem, Sot Uloi, Porjecho Avaz, Ghe Uzvadd, all in
Mumbai, and Uzvadd from Africa were published.
After the Liberation of Goa, Felicio Cardoso started a
weekly named Goencho Sad and later changed it to Sot.
1963 saw a weekly named Uzvadd stated by Ameterio Pais.
In 1967, the two weeklies Sot and A Vida were combined
and Divtti, a daily, was brought into existence by
Felicio Cardoso. Hugo Souza was the managing director
of Divtti. Later, Felicio Cardozo turned Divtti into a
weekly called Loksad. During this period, Goa saw a
lots of other periodicals like Gomant Suria, Goencho
Fuddari, and the like. During the same period, Mumbai
witnessed the birth of Goan Express, Goan Sports
Weekly, Porjecho Ixtt, Vavraddi, and Cine Times. Today
none of these publications are in existence.
In 1970, Gomantak Private Limited Society started a
daily called Uzvadd. Evagrio George was the editor of
this paper. Later he started two of his own weeklies
and named Novo Uzvadd and Prokas.
In 1970, periodicals such as The Blade, Goencho Mog and
Goenkar were started. In 1980, Fr. Planton Faria
started Goencho Avaz which was later changed to
Goenchim Kirnnam. In the same year, Dionisio D'Souza
started a monthly and called it Goenchem Ful.
In 1982, following a people's initiative, a Konknni
daily called Novem Goem was born. Gurunath Kelekar, Dr
F M Rebello and Felicio Cardoso served as its editors.
In the same year, Prabhakar Tendulkar stated his own
publication called Goenkar. In 1983, Fr. Freddy J da Costa
started a Konknni colour-printed magazine named Gulab,
which still continues. In 1989 Fr. Freddy Da Costa also
started a daily called Goencho Avaz which became a
fortnightly after one and a half year. However, it had
to be stopped due to financial burdens. Today he comes
out with occasional issues of Goencho Avaz.
Currently, the Goan Review is the only Konknni-English
bi-monthly magazine published from Mumbai. It is edited
by Fausto V. da Costa. In 1996 an English-Konknni
fortnightly called the Konkan Mail was started from
Panjim. Cyril D'Cunha and Jose Salvador Fernandes
edited the English and Konknni section respectively.
The past of Roman Konknni Journalism is perhaps
unprecedented in the history of vernacular languages of
India, where umpteen numbers of periodicals -- not
proportionate to size of the population of speakers and
readers of the language mushroomed to meet the needs of
the readers in Roman Konknni. At the same time, it is
equally disheartening to note the sharp decline it
underwent. Today Vauraddeancho Ixtt is the only weekly
and Gulab is the only monthly that exists as complete
periodicals in Roman Konknni journalism.
Several reasons could be pointed out for having
contributed to this downfall:
* Publishers failed to unite and join forces to meet
the wider scope and greater market they could have realised.
* Publications failed to exploit the then existing
journalistic demand of the people in a systematic and
collective way.
* Publications failed to meet the demands of modern-day
journalism.
* Many of the publications didn't work because of
internal bickering and lack of patronage.
* Financial problems were a common factor of most of
these publications.
* Elders failed to inculcate of love for reading
Konknni among the younger generations.
* The western influence, along with the popularization
of the English language in Goa, was highly
detrimental to the growth of Konknni.
* After Devnagri script was granted official status,
Roman script was looked down upon.
The Why of Roman script Konknni
Goa consists of two major religious communities, the
Hindus and the Christians. Due to historical
developments, especially after the religious
persecution and the destruction of Konknni literature
by the Portuguese, the Hindu community had to depend on
the neighboring Marathi speaking areas to meet the
needs of their cultural, social and religious life.
Marathi, which is akin to the Konknni language, was
adopted by the Hindu community as a medium of their
expression or communication and fulfillment of
spiritual, cultural and educational needs.
The Catholic community, however, had to face bitter
experiences. At first the Portuguese ruler imposed
Portuguese as their medium of communication. In the
course of time, the Portuguese Bishops of Goa and the
Portuguese missionaries realized that this was not
viable. And so in order to educate the Christians and
strengthen their faith, the Church authorities had to
take recourse to Konknni, which was spoken by the people.
Due to the existing political situation, under which
the Church of Goa lived, it was unthinkable to have
religious literature in Devnagri Konknni. Already the
medium of education was the Portuguese. The Goan clergy
was being trained in the seminaries through an
extensive use of Latin, Portuguese and other Western
languages. Therefore the only solution to impart the
Christian Doctrinal teachings to the masses in Konknni
was by using the Roman script.. It was against this
background that Roman (or Romi) script made inroads in
Konknni literature.
In the course of time, the Portuguese language could
not meet the bare economic needs of the people and
gradually they had to learn English in order to get
access to jobs outside Goa. Thus the Catholic community
was completely cut off from the Devnagri roots.
With the advent of Liberation and after the official
status was granted to Konknni with Devnagri as its
official script, the younger generation is now coming
in increasing touch with the Devanagiri script. If the
trend continues successfully, we hope that after 25 to
40 years or so, we will have a new generation to whom
reading Konknni in the Devanagiri script will be easy.
Till then, the present generation will need the
services of Roman script Konknni for at least another
30 to 40 years. This is a foregone conclusion.
However this is not to water down the bright chances
Romi Konknni journalism has in the future. If, in the
course of coming 25 years it makes large strides in
terms of excellent literary, scientific and religious
publications and keeps abreast with modern journalistic
trends, then Romi Konknni will not easily die but will
survive for a long time to come.
Present-day Romi Konknni media
The weekly Vavraddeanchi Ixtt and the monthly, Gulab
are the only complete Romi Konknni publications of Goa
today. Recently, in early October 2003, Ixtt celebrated
its 70th annual day and Gulab has completed 20 years of
existence. Today Vauraddeancho Ixtt (Worker's Friend)
is the only weekly that has survived (since 1933) and
is thriving to meet the present day challenges of the
fast moving media. Started in 1933 in the backdrop of
the spread of Communism, the weekly was to reach out
the working class and people at the grassroots to
educate, inform and educate them on Communism vis-a-vis
religion. However, over the years, and as it gained
wider popularity, the scope extended to the coverage of
social, political, cultural and religious themes. Ixtt
can boast of a glorious past as one weekly that
provided news and views that satisfied the reading
appetite of a large readership in Goa and Mumbai.
Having run by priests and the Society of Pilar, its
credibility and respect always remained consistent.
Ixtt's contribution to the freedom movement of Goa is
worth the mention. Ixtt under the aegis of the Society
of Pilar followed a line of thought closer to the
aspiration of the freedom movement of our Motherland
India and Goa. It was on the Vespers of the
independence of India that Ixtt began to publish from
the precincts of the old Monastery of Pilar, where its
editorial office and press was housed.
The weekly enjoyed quite good freedom to express itself
without rigorous Portuguese censorship upto the early
50's. However, the picture started changing after the
Liberation of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and the freedom
struggle movement to liberate Goa from the clutches of
the Portuguese. During this period, the Press buckled
under the pressures of rigorous Portuguese censorship.
Nothing could be published in Goa without getting it
censored by the Portuguese Police with the rubber-stamp
of approval that read 'Visado pela censura' (Seen by
the Censor).
Ixtt, under the editorship first of Fr. Conceicao
Rodrigues (1944-54) and later of Fr. Jeronimo Pereira
(1954-69), had to face insurmountable pressures to toe
the Portuguese line. In order to survive most of the
times, Ixtt maintained silence towards the policies of
Salazar the Portuguese dictator without however openly
criticizing the Portuguese Government, which would be
suicidal. But this silence was construed as opposition
to the Portuguese Sovereignty in Goa.
On August 12, 1961, three months before the liberation
of Goa, the Governor Vassalo da Silva, by his decree,
suspended the publication of Ixtt for 90 days as a
punishment for not being patriotic towards Portugal and
showing pro-India tendencies. Thus Ixtt was the only
paper of Goa which remained firm and suffered for its
nationalistic aspirations.
Today Ixtt still continues to be popular. Since more
than a year, Ixtt has seen lot of changes in content
and presentation. In keeping with modern trends in
journalism and the needs of readers, Ixtt is slowly but
steadily progressing. At present Ixtt has almost 7000
regular subscribers and in fact this number is
increasing at an unexpected rate. After a systematic
campaign started recently, Ixtt hopes to cross the
10,000 figure before 2004. While Ixtt was online since
1999 sharing a link on Goacom.com, today it has its own
website (http://www.v-ixtt.com).
Gulab is another magazine, which is on the lips of
every Romi Konknni reader in Goa and even abroad.
Started in 1983 by Fr. Freddy D'Costa, who continues to
be its editor, Gulab has maintained a certain standard
in its language and has strived to keep up the tempo of
advancing journalism.
This monthly is printed in a magazine format, with an
attractive glossy and coloured cover. Writings of
interests to the young, old, children and women and on
literature are included, besides covering news on
films, Konknni language and culture. Sports and tiatr
have projected this monthly as a popular family
magazine. Gulab is also online with its own website
(http://www.gulabonline.com). By running this magazine
single handedly since the last 20 years, Fr. Freddy
D'Costa will surely go down in the annals of Roman
Konknni journalism. If the Gulab (literally meaning
'rose') is still blooming it is because of the support
of its founder and his Press -- New Age Printers.
Scope & Challenges?
A large section of the Konknni-speaking people still
reads Roman Konknni. This section reads neither English
nor the Devnagri and is totally dependent on Roman
Konani literature. Besides there are a lot of people
who read English as well as Roman Konknni, who want to
read in the vernacular and get a different slant in
coverage. Therefore, to say that the demand for Roman
Konknni will go for another 25 to 40 years will not be
inaccurate. This is strongly complimented by the Church
factor. Meaning, till the Church transliterates its
entire set of Roman-script liturgical, ritual and other
holy books to Devanagiri, the use of Roman Script will
not die.
There is also an increasingly felt demand among the
Diaspora population of Romi Konknni-speaking people who
are migrating to other countries over the globe. This
population will also take more than a generation to
assimilate the language or culture of the residing
countries. Further, if care is taken to make these
papers or periodicals at the same time competitive,
attractive, people-friendly and useful, then the scope
and longevity of Roman Konknni journalism will be ensured.
Roman Konknni journalism needs to be more aggressive in
their marketing strategies. Over the years, it has
relied more on well wishers and only subscribers. Many
times huge loses have incurred and had to be borne by
publishers. It cannot afford to rely on donors,
individual persons or trusts for its existence. Without
shedding its principles, it needs to look to adapting
to new trends, being more competitive, and delivering
the needs of the readers. These are some of the serious
challenges that needs immediate attention. At this
given period of time, there are a few Roman Konknni
writers. However that there is huge potential is a fact
that needs to be exploited and utilized.
Conclusion
With just two periodicals around, Roman Konknni
journalism hangs on a cliff.
Even if there still continues an awareness of the
importance and love for Konknni, yet the chances of
Roman Konknni journalism gradually fading away are also
visible. The odds are in the same measure as hope.
Enthusiasm seen at the recently held 70th annual day of
Vauraddeancho Ixtt and its increasing number of
subscribers, the 20th annual day of Gulab, the
existence of 65 parish bulletins and other literature
in Roman Konknni is a proof of the huge potential and
clear hope that has to be cultivated and exploited. Can
we rise to the opportunity?