Study Chair to conduct research on Konkani language, culture

Konkani Study Chair is an honour of the government to a language which has more than 1,000 years of history and spread all over the world.

The Study Chair would help conduct research on Konkani language, literature and culture, Minister for Higher Education and Tourism R V Deshpande said.

Speaking after inaugurating first Konkani Study Chair and 16th Study Chair of Mangalore University at Ravindra Kalabhavana at University College here on Friday, he said the Study Chair should be active and research activities should be conducted about the contribution of Konkani and writers like Manjeshwar Govinda Pai to the country.

Many Konkani speaking people are poor. There is a need of research about the life and development of Gowda, Kudubi and Halakki tribal. They are yet to achieve educational and economical development.

The government has released Rs 2 crore in the first phase. This should help for the well being of  people, he said.

MP Nalin Kumar Kateel opined that with English has been dominating over Konkani among Christians, one of Konkani speaking communities in DK. The Study Chair will help in the development of the language as well as the culture. It would help in demonstrating the richness of the language to the world, he said.

MLA J R Lobo reminded that though Study Chair has been established, the true responsibility of saving the language is with general public. “Use Konkani as your mother tongue, then there will be some meaning to the Konkani Study Chair,” he said.

Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy President Roy Castelino said no documentation has been done, especially about the migration of Konkani-speaking people. The Study Chair and the Academy should be like two limbs of one body. It would help in research works, education, literary works and to promote overall development of Konkani. It can work as brain and heart of the language, he said.

Bishop Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Mayor Jacintha Vijaya Alfred, World Konkani Centre President Basti Vaman Shenoy, Mandd Shobhann Gurkar Eric Ozario were present among others.

About Study Chair
The new Konkani Study Chair will work under the guidance of Mangalore University Vice Chancellor Prof K Byrappa. University College Economics Department Assistant Professor Dr Jayavanth Nayak will be the coordinator. Achievers from 12 various communities have been appointed as members.

The members are- Basti Vaman Shenoy, Eric Ozario, Gopal Gowda, Sandhya Pai, Poornima Suresh, Dr P Dayanand Pai, Pundalika Marate, Rajagopal Shet, Moulvi Abdul Aleem Kwasmi, Muzamil Khazia, Roy Castelino and M P Noronha.