Mangaluru: An emergency meeting of Konkani leaders has been called forth on Sunday May 29 at Kalaangann with regard to a writ petition filed by the undersigned and two other Konkani activists in the High Court of Karnataka-Writ Petition no 35120 of 2011 (GM-RES-PIL); pleading with the High Court to direct the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi to treat all the five scripts of Konkani on equal footing, as against its biased stand of encouraging literature only in the Devanagari script.

After 5 years, the high court dismissed the petition. Then a review petition was filed, ‘Review Petition no. 186 of 2016’. Now the High Court has passed an order with regard to the review petition, directing us to make a representation to the Secretary, Ministry of Human Resources and Development (the 2nd Respondent).

Though on the surface it looks as if the High Court, instead of exercising its authority and directing the Sahitya Akademi to discontinue its biased patronage, has escaped its responsibility and has asked us, the petitioners to make a representation to the 2nd Respondent in the case – the Union of India, represented by the Principal Secretary, Department of Human Resources and Development; it has opened up 3 possibilities –

1.The Case that was once dismissed is now kept open.

2.The Case which was represented by just 3 individuals against whom institutions and organisations were lined up, has now an opportunity to include all Konkani organisations who are in support of our demand.

3.As this representation is addressed to the Ministry of Culture and as the court has directed the Ministry to pass a ‘reasoned and speaking order’, this issue will no more remain a ‘Konkani’ issue, but will be applicable to all other languages of India.

To discuss the course of action that needs to be adopted, an emergency meeting of Konkani leaders is convened on Sunday May 29 at Kalaangann, Mangalore.

The meeting will commence at 10 (9.30 breakfast / registration) and will wind up at 1, with lunch.

Senthil Nathan (Chennai), the Federal Coordinator of CLEAR (Campaign for Language Equality and Rights), representing over 40 languages of India, will be present at the meeting to express his solidarity with our cause and to inform the gathering as to how CLEAR would participate in our struggle.