'Asmitai Dis', Romi Konkani and Goa’s identity predicament

William Shakespeare’s oft repeated quote, ‘what’s in a name, that a rose called by any other would smell less sweet?’ popped into mind, but in a rather different context and a very different connotation.

The paraphrased sentence that lingered in the mind was, ‘what’s in a day that it be called by any other would still mean the same?’

The context is that it has been announced that January 16 will, from the coming year 2025, be officially observed as Asmita Dis, which translated into English is 'Identity Day'.

The fact is that this day has been popularly observed as Asmitai Dis for quite a few years now, and there has been nothing governmental or official about it.

In my opinion, making it official does not bestow upon this day any additional significance. In fact, rather than a genuine people’s manifestation of their attachment to the day, we will probably have politicians spewing out long speeches that some may not even believe in.

Asmitai Dis has a nice ring to it, but whether it is official or not, it may make little difference to retaining the already diluted identity that is sought to be celebrated or remembered or protected.

Look at it from the point of view of the people of Goa who fought for retaining the Union Territory and voted against its merger with Maharashtra.

A substantial number of them may not be among the living today, but it was their efforts that preserved Goa, and hence, Goan identity for us, the many who were too young to vote at that time or, like me, were not even born, but have partaken of the fruits of that movement.

Remembering the Opinion Poll is not about recollecting a fact of history, but should lead to re-establishing the desire to protect the Goan identity that the Goans in the mid-1960s believed should be preserved at all costs.

At about the same time that this assurance was made, there arose a movement that is seeking that Konkani in the Romi script should be included in the Official Language Act.

There are various reasons being proffered for this inclusion, but politically, this is an issue that no party would be willing to support at the current time.

It is unlikely to draw much traction, though individual opposition MLAs have mouthed some platitudes, and could possibly remain as merely a demand.

Additionally, according to reports, over 30 gram sabhas spread over various talukas have passed resolutions seeking the inclusion of the Romi script in the Act.

We will not, here, get deep into a discussion about the legal validity of these resolutions, but mention that the government is under no obligation to act on these and also does not appear willing to stir the always simmering language cauldron that could draw more and other demands.

Both these issues directly reflect on the question of identity that has been the core of Goan issues right from Liberation. The Opinion Poll in the 1960s was the first of the battles that Goa fought to preserve its identity by rejecting merger.

The next big battle was language, in the 1980s, that eventually established Konkani as the Official Language of Goa.

Further battles, of lesser intensity, continued, and one that still lingers, is of land use and conversion from agricultural to settlement and commercial.

It is obvious that the passage of decades has not closed the chapters of identity and language for Goa. They remain open, highly debatable, with a varied views that may not all meet on the same plane.

They also have the potential of upturning the amity in which Goans have been existing. So, anyone taking up these issues, especially that of language and script, should take a broader view of the potential consequences and not adopt a blinkered one for personal gains.

When we observe, or celebrate, Asmitai Dis next year, under government patronage, it should cement the identity rather than display cracks in the façade.

For that matter, the identity should not be merely a façade, but a robust structure built upon a strong foundation that surmounts the threats that have arisen and will arise in the future.

Goan identity has survived the vicissitudes of a developing economy, migration and positioning. But, the close observer will list out the variations that have occurred.

In time, it will mutate, but hopefully as long as there are those who cherish Goa, that mutation process will take its own time.