Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr (TSKK) is a Jesuit research-institute working on issues related to the Konkani language, literature, culture and education. It is based in Alto Porvorim, on the outskirts of the state capital of Goa, India.
The TSKK says it "is devoted to the promotion of education and research in the Konknni language, literature and culture". It was registered under the Societies Registration Act in 1982 and first functioned from 1986 at the locality of Miramar, before its current premises was built. It is located alongside the also Jesuit Xavier Centre of Historical Research.
Current status, and name
TSKK is a Society registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act of 1860. From June 1999, it has been recognized by the Goa University as a Konknni research institute.
This institution gets its name from the sixteenth-century English Jesuit priest, Thomas Stephens (1549–1619), a linguist and Marathi poet. Stephens came to Goa, then a Portuguese colony, on 24 October 1579. According to the institution, Stephens learned the Konknni and Marathi languages and wrote in them. He produced the first grammar to be produced in an Indian language, in Konknni printed in 1622. Stephens died in Goa in 1619.
Research bulletin
TSKK's Sod research bulletin
One of the activities of the TSKK is the publication of a research bulletin called Sod. This journal is edited, produced and published as part of TSKK's "research efforts ... devoted to the promotion of education and research in (the) Konknni language, literature and culture". Its articles are a mix of Konknni written in Devanagari-script, the Roman (Romi) script, and occasionally in English too.[citation needed]
Generally Sod issues are priced at Rs 50 each (in Goa).
Courses in Konkani, etc
TSKK also offers courses in the Konknni language, and on project methodology for researchers, and study methodology for students. Currently (September 2006), the TSKK is working on language-teaching books for adults and children to learn Konkani (in the Romi or Roman script).
Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr is located at B.B.Borkar Road, Alto Porvorim, Goa (India) 403 521.
Publications
TSKK has come out with a number of publications in the Konknni language, or in languages like English introducing themes related to Konknni, which is India's smallest language, spoken mainly along the west coast of this country.
Some of its publication include a 1988 guide to writing Devanagari script Konknni (20 pp, then priced at Rs 3, now out of print), A Description of Konknni by Matthew Almeida, sj (1989), Teacher's and Parent's Manual (1996, pp 150)by Pratap Naik,S.J., TSKK Konknni Basic Course (Matthew Almeida, SJ, 1991), Tisvaddeacheo Igorzo (Moreno de Souza, SJ, 1994, on the churches of the sub-district of Tiswadi in Goa), TSKK Romi Lipi (TSKK's orthography for Roman-script Konknni by Pratap Naik, SJ 2005 pp 52).
In addition it has also brought out five cassettes and CDs, of Konknni music containing devotional songs and nursery rhymes and children's songs.
TSKK's plant collection
TSKK's botanical garden
Jesuit priest Pratap Naik sj, director of the TSKK currently, has been building a collection of over 328 trees and plants, all in the yard of a research institution studying the local Konknni language. Naik argues that the culture of a place is reflected "not only" in its language, but also in its flora—apart from its fauna, architecture, food habits and dress.
He has been quoted saying that he wants to grow one of every fruit-bearing tree that grows in Goa which is rich in plant diversity. This richness is thanks in significant part to plant exchanges by the former rulers who centuries back controlled international seaways and had an empire straddling the continents.
Many months of hard work has seen Naik piece together a well-maintained and neatly labelled botanical garden. Visible are the local names in Konknni, the botanical names, their English names. Elsewhere, he keeps a list of the original native countries of these Goa-adopted plants.
Among the collection are the ainno madd (the Fan Palm in English, or Livistona rotundifolia as it's known by its botanical name). It comes from tropical America. There's the ambaddo, dismissively perhaps called the hog-plum that traces its origins to India itself. The ambor (mulberry, or Morus alba) has Chinese origins. Kalljirem (black cumin, Nigella sativa) is again of Indian origin.
Naik says he has already found the names of 325 species from among the 329 he planted. "Some don't have names in Konknni (the local language)," he is quoted as saying, obviously because of their exotic origins.
Konkani is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Konkani people, primarily in the Konkan region, along the western coast of India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages mentioned in the Indian Constitution, and the official language of the Indian state of Goa. It is also spoken in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat as well as Damaon, Diu & Silvassa.
Fr. Pratap Naik, S.J. is a Mangalorean Catholic Jesuit priest from Kundapur, India. He was the director of the Thomas Stephens Konkkni Kendr (TSKK), a research institute working on issues related to the Konkani language, literature, culture and education. The institute is based in Alto Porvorim, on the outskirts of the state capital of Panaji, Goa.
Thomas Stephens was an English Jesuit priest and missionary in Portuguese India, writer and linguist of Marathi and Konkani.
Goan Catholic literature is diverse.
The Goa Konkani Akademi is an organization set up by the Government of Goa in 1986 to promote the Konkani in Goa. Its stated aim is to accelerate the pace of development of Konkani by encouraging writers, researchers, etc. and to bring Konkanis from all areas together.
Krista Purana is an epic poem on the life of Jesus Christ written in a mix of Marathi and Konkani by Thomas Stephens (1549–1619). Adopting the literary form of the Hindu puranas, it retells the entire story of mankind from the creation days to the time of Jesus, in lyrical verse form. The Christian Puranas – 11,000 stanzas of 4 verses – were very popular in the churches of the area where they were sung on special occasions up to the 1930s. Although no copy of the original edition has yet been discovered, it is believed to have been first published at the College of Rachol in 1616, then re-published posthumously in 1649 and 1654.
The art of printing first entered India through Goa. In a letter to St. Ignatius of Loyola, written on April 30, 1556, Father Gasper Caleza speaks of a ship carrying a printing press setting sail for Abyssinia from Portugal, with the purpose of helping missionary work in Abyssinia. Circumstances prevented this printing press from leaving India, and consequently, printing was initiated in the country.
Konkani in the Roman script, commonly known as Roman Konkani or Romi Konknni refers to the writing of the Konkani language in the Roman script. While Konkani is written in five different scripts altogether, Roman Konkani is widely used. Roman Konkani is known to be the oldest preserved and protected literary tradition beginning from the 16th century AD.
Konkani alphabets refers to the five different scripts currently used to write the Konkani language.
The Konkani language agitations were a series of protests and demonstrations in India, concerning the uncertain future of the Konkani language. They were held by Goans in the former territory of Goa, Daman and Diu; then under the administration of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP). The protests involved citizen journalism, student activism & political demonstrations. The civil unrest ceased when official status for Konkani in the Devnagari script was granted.
The Dalgado Konknni Akademi is an organisation located in Panjim, Goa that works for the development and promotion of Konkani in the Roman script.
Mariano Jose Luis de Gonzaga Saldanha (1878–1975) of Uskai (Ucassaim) village in Goa, studied medicine and pharmacy, but went on to become a teacher of Marathi and Sanskrit at the Lyceum in Goa (1915–1929) and of Sanskrit and Konkani at Lisbon, at the University and at the Advanced School of Colonial Administration (1929–1946). In 1946-48 he was Deputy Director of the new institute of African and Oriental languages in Lisbon.
Special Status for Goa is a proposal to make the Goa state as an entity with additional powers within the Indian Union. Proponents of the idea have argued that Government of Goa should be given certain powers by the Indian Government by amending Article 371I of the Constitution of India, to preserve the unique culture and history of this subregion of Konkan. These powers would allow the Government of Goa to enact legislation to protect the private property rights of the Goans and put restrictions on the sale of land by Goans.
Konkani literature is literature in the Konkani language, mostly produced in three scripts: Roman, Devanagari and Kannada. Konkani literature is eligible for the Sahitya Akademi Award.
Jayanti Naik is an Indian Konkani writer, folklore researcher, short story writer, dramatist, children's writer, folklorist, and translator. She was the first person to earn a doctorate from the Goa University's Department of Konkani. She is also a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award. In her career of some three decades, she has produced on average, a book a year.
Vasco do Rego SJ was an Indian Jesuit priest who played a significant role in the promotion of Konkani language, literature and music, particularly after the Annexation of Goa. He was the editor of the religious monthly Dor Mhoineachi Rotti for many years.
Isidore Dantas is an Indian writer, translator, Wikipedia editor, and lexicographer known for his work in the Konkani language and Konkani Wikipedia. Noted for his interest in Konkani films, he is best known for his book on Konkani cinema Konkani Cholchitram and for having co-authored an English-to-Konkani dictionary. He has authored five books, co-authored a dictionary, and translated two books.
Tanaji Halarnkar was a Konkani scholar, columnist and former editor of the Konkani Encyclopedia. Halarnkar played a prominent role in the pro-Konkani language agitation in the Goa of the 1980s, and also in the wider movement for the promotion of the Konkani language in Goa and other parts of western coastal India. His other contributions include helping develop scientific and technical terminology for Konkani. He was involved with organising Konkani literary events, authored books, and did his Ph.D. on the gram panchayats of Goa.
Nevel Lourdes Sacramento Gracias was an Indian playwright, actor, singer, composer, director, editor, and diocesan priest who primarily worked on the Konkani stage and is best known for his lenten tiatrs. He was regarded as a one-man show and served in the general council of the Tiatr Academy of Goa.
Santana Filomena Ceirico Camilo "Cyriaco" Dias is an Indian actor, playwright, theatre director, singer, freedom fighter, and social worker known for his work in Konkani films and tiatr productions. Throughout his career, he has performed in over 1,000 dramas and has accumulated over 4,500 acting credits.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
