The All India Konkani Parishad is a national conference held in India. It is meant to support the Konkani people and Konkani language, and conducts various activities to achieve that goal, aided by local authorities.
History The Konkani Parishad was launched when India's struggle for freedom was at its peak. The organization was founded on July 8, 1939 by the late Madhav Manjunath Shanbhague of Kumta—then under the Bombay Presidency, now in Karnataka. It shifted to Goa, the homeland of Konkani, in 1961 when the territory was liberated from Portuguese rulers. At present, it functions from Goa as the national apex body to which 16 regional/local associations are affiliated and works for the development of Konkani language, literature, culture, education, etc. across the country.
The Konkani Parishad had set the following objectives before it in 1939
To bring about unity among the Konkani speaking people of various regions To remove indifference of Konkanis towards their mother tongue and promote their love for the language To strive for standardisation of the Konkani language To promote use of Devanagari as the natural, common script for Konkani To work for the development and spread of Konkani literature and culture.
During the past 75 years, the Parishad relentlessly worked, mostly through its national conferences for achieving its objectives. It has so far organized 29 biennial sessions and 22 biennial Konkani literary Conferences apart from innumerable other programmes at the national level.
These conferences were always graced by linguists like Dr. Suniti Kumar Chatterjee and Dr. S.M. Katre, and intellectuals like Kakasaheb Kalelkar and prominent litterateurs of various languages of the country.
The Parishad has always been in the forefront in fighting for the issues daunting the Konkani language. It identified and deliberated on the various problems related to the development of the language and prepared strategies for solving them. The following resolutions passed during the conferences throw light on the various issues agitating the minds of the Konkanies from time to time.
Inclusion of Konkani programmes in all India Radio and Doordarshan Introduction of Konkani in school and college education and preparation of Konkani textbooks Making Konkani available books in public libraries Establishment of Konkani Bhasha Mandals in various states Getting advertisements for Konkani periodicals Recognition of the language by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi Inclusion of Konkani in the 8th schedule of the country's constitution Official language status for Konkani in Goa Statehood for Goa Establishment of state academies for Konkani in Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra
These resolutions were persistently followed up and, by and large, their purposes were achieved. The major issues which exercised the minds of the people at the Parishad's meets were satisfactorily settled when Konkani was recognised as an independent language by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi in 1976 and the language attained the status of official language in Goa in 1987. The crowning glory came when Konkani was included in the 8th Schedule of the country's constitution in 1992.
These landmarks in the history of Konkani language were followed by establishment of Konkani Academies in Goa, Karnataka and recently in Kerala. The progress achieved in teaching Konkani from primary school level to post-graduate level in the colleges and its increased use in administration and mass media is also due to the direct and indirect efforts of the Parishad.
Sessions Brief details of the sessions of the Parishad are as below:
AdhiveshandatesReception Committee ChairmanPresidentInauguratedFirst AdhiveshanThe first session of the Parishad was held on 8 and 9 July 1939, Karwar. The conference was organised under the leadership of late Madhav Manjath Shanbhag, a leading advocate of Karwar. It was presided over by Vishwanath Pandurang Prabhu F.J.Martiris, Parishadechim Pasthis Varsam, Souvenir - 10th Adhiveshan of All India Konkani Parishad - Panaji, Goa 1974Second Adhiveshan31, December, 1940, Udupi T. M. A. PaiMr. Jerome SaldanhaThird Adhiveshan4,5, April, 1942, Mumbai Mr. Vaman Raghunath Varde Valavalikar aka Shenoi GoembabProf. Armando Menezes, Academician & English poetFourth Adhiveshan1949, Mumbai Dr. Mafaldo Ubaldo MascarenhasAnandashram SwamiFifth Adhiveshan23,24 February 1952 Mumbai Dr. Mariano Saldanha, a scholar of international repute (He was teaching Sanskrit in Portugal)Rt. Rev. Valerian Cardinal Gracias, India's first CardinalSixth Adhiveshan27,28 April 1957 Mumbai Dr.Sumitra Mangesh Katre, Renowned linguistAcharya Kaka Kalelkar Gandhian Intellectual & Eminent Gujarati writerSeventh Adhiveshan16, May, 1960, Karwar Souvenir - 25th Adhiveshan of All India Konkani Parishad - Panaji, Goa 2006Dr. B.A.Saletore, Noted HistorianShrimat Dwarakanatha Teertha (Gokarna Partagali Math)Eighth Adhiveshan26,27 May 1962, Madgaon (First Adhiveshan in Liberated Goa)Dr.Manohar Rai Sardesai, Eminent Konkani PoetViolet Alva, Vice President, Rajyasabha, Indian ParliamentNinth Adhiveshan29,30 September 1967, Mumbai Bakibab Borkar, Eminent Konkani PoetVasantrao Naik Chief Minister of Maharashtra10th Adhiveshan9,10 February 1974 Panaji Souvenir -10th Adhiveshan of All India Konkani Parishad - Panaji, Goa 1974K.K.Pai, Chairman & MD, Syndicate BankDr. Suniti Kumar Chatterji, President Sahitya Akademi11th Adhiveshan21,22 February 1976, Mangalore Souvenir -11th Adhiveshan of All India Konkani Parishad - Mangalore, 1976K.K.PaiChandrakant Keni, Eminent Konkani Writer12th Adhiveshan12. 12th Adhiveshan - 11,12, February, Kochi Ravindra Kelekar, Eminent Konkani Writer & Jnanpeeth Award winnerA. K. Antony Chief Minister of Kerala13th Adhiveshan12,13 April 1980, Mumbai F.A.MartirisN. Purushotham Mallya, Scholar & Noted WriterPratapsingh Raoji Rane Chief Minister of Goa14th Adhiveshan27,28 February 1982, Panaji V.J.P. Saldanha Eminent Konkani NovelistDr.Umashankar Joshi, President, Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi15th Adhiveshan11,12,13, May, 1984, Bangalore Nagesh Sonde, Noted Konkani writerA.N.Bannerji, Governor of Karnataka16th Adhiveshan24,25 May 1986, Kochi Adv. Uday Bhembre Scholar & Eminent Konkani writerM. Kamalam, Minister, Govt. of Kerala17th Adhiveshan6,7,8 January 1989, ManipalMogrem - Souvenir- 17th Adhiveshan of All India Konkani Parishad - Manipal, 1989M. V. Kamath, Renowned Author & Veteran journalistEduardo Faleiro Union Minister18th Adhiveshan14,15,16 December 1990, Ramnathi, GoaSouvenir- 18th Adhiveshan of All India Konkani Parishad - Ramnathi Goa, 1990Prof. R.K.Rao, Eminent Konkani author & TranslatorDr. José Pereira19th Adhiveshan16,17 January 1993, Madgaon, GoaSouvenir- 19th Adhiveshan of All India Konkani Parishad - Madgaon, Goa, 1993Dattaraj SalgaonkarJ. B. Moraes Eminent Konkani PoetRavi Naik, Chief Minister of Goa20th Adhiveshan11,12 February 1995, Shirsi, KarnatakaSouvenir- 20th Adhiveshan of All India Konkani Parishad - Shirsi, Karnataka, 1995Dr. Kashinath Mahale, Academician & ScholarR.V. Deshapande, Minister, Govt. Of Karnataka21st Adhiveshan18,19 January 1997, MumbaiSouvenir- 21st Adhiveshan of All India Konkani Parishad - Mumbai, 1997Dr. William Madtha, Linguist & Academician22nd Adhiveshan15,16,17, January 1999, Belgaum Souvenir- 22nd Adhiveshan of All India Konkani Parishad - Belgaum, 1999Pundalik Naik, Eminent writerUmesh Katti, Minister, Govt. Of Karnataka23rd Adhiveshan20, 21, April, 2002, MangaloreSouvenir- 23rd Adhiveshan of All India Konkani Parishad - Mangalore, 2002Dr. Tanaji Halarnkar, scholar, columnist and editor of Konkani EncyclopaediaRamanath Rai, Minister, Govt. of Karnataka24th Adhiveshan13,14,15 February 2004, KozhikodeSouvenir- 24th Adhiveshan of All India Konkani Parishad - Kozhikode, 2004Basti Vaman ShenoyMr. Rajagopal, Union Minister for Railways25th Adhiveshan10,11,12 February 2006, Panaji, GoaSouvenir- 25th Adhiveshan of All India Konkani Parishad - Panaji, 2006Mr. Paul Moras, Konkani writerInaugurated by Mr. S.C. Jamir, Governor of Goa26th Adhiveshan5,6.7 February 2008, Kochi, Kerala Souvenir- 26th Adhiveshan of All India Konkani Parishad - Panaji, 2008Adv. Shantaram Naik (Member, Rajyasabha)Inaugurated by Mr. K.K. Pai, President, Dr. T.M.A. Pai Foundation27th Adhiveshan5,6,7 February 2010, Sanquelim, GoaSouvenir- 27th Adhiveshan of All India Konkani Parishad - Panaji, 2010Dr. H. Shantaram, AcademicianInaugurated by Mr. Ravindra Kelekar, Jnanpeeth Award-winning Konkani writer28th Adhiveshan17,18 February 2012, Mumbai Souvenir- 28th Adhiveshan of All India Konkani Parishad - Panaji, 2012Mr.Arvind Bhatikar, IAS (Retd) Administrator & AuthorInaugurated: Mr. Ramdas Bhatkal29th Adhiveshan28 & 29 February, 1 March 2014, Belgaum, KarnatakaSouvenir- 29th Adhiveshan of All India Konkani Parishad - Panaji, 2014Mr. Gokuldas Prabhu Eminent Konkani WriterInaugurated by : Mr. R.V. Deshpande, Hon'ble Minister for Higher Education, Government of Karnataka
See also Shenoi Goembab Madhav Manjunath Shanbhag World Konkani Hall Of Fame
References