'Language can survive if people speak'

 Ammi Konkani, the four-day Konkani convention concluded here in Mangalore Town Hall on Sunday.

Delivering the valedictory address, MLA Krishna J Palemar said that Language Academies play an important role in preserving culture and heritage.

“The Academy presidents have shared their concern that the Rs 50 lakh grant is insufficient to implement their activities and have requested for an allotment of Rs one crore.

I shall take up this issue and ensure that the required amount is sanctioned,” he said.

He also advised the academies to organise programmes in rural areas. The people from the grass roots should also benefit, he said.

“Language is an important tool of communication and every language is rich. People who try to propagate their language should also respect other languages,” he said.

Language can survive only if the children of a particular community speak it. Today, with modernisation, many try to teach their children English from a very young age.

It is interesting to note that children who speak their mother tongue at home and learn English at school speak much better and grammatical English than children who speak English at home, he pointed out.

Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy President Kasargod Chinna presided over the programme. The valedictory was followed by a musical evening, ‘Konkani Sangeet Sanj’.

Poets meet

A poets meet was held as a part of ‘Ammi Konkani’ on Saturday. The poets touched upon a few prevailing subjects through the poems.

The poets recited poems in Konkani, Tulu, Kannada, Beary and Malayalam languages.
Writer Vaman Nandavara, Beary poet B A Mohammad Ali, Senior journalist Manohar Prasad were present.

In the ‘Yuva Sambhram- Vidyarthi Samskrithikotsava’ programme, the students had brought out the culture and tradition of GSB, through a programme. St Aloysius students presented ‘Siddi kunitha.’

The students of St Agnes College, Besant College, Manipal College of Nursing, Vijaya PU College, Canara High School, Lourdes Central School had presented variety of programmes.