Highlighting the need to work for the growth of Konkani language, Kannada writer Kum. Veerabhadrappa, on Saturday, said a Kannada-Konkani-Kannada dictionary was an immediate requirement.
Inaugurating a day-long Konkani literary meet here, he said Konkani language had braved many onslaughts from the Dutch and Portuguese and emerged stronger. Describing it as a language that “evoked a sense of pride and brought joy to its speaker,” he said Kannada had borrowed thousands of words from it and had grown richer.
Kannada being a language that easily embraced other languages, the two have cherished history dating back to Chola and Pallava dynasties and beyond.
President of the Konkani Sahitya Academy Ronald Castalino said the Legislative Council had "insulted" the language by not encouraging a Mangaluru-based MLC to speak in Konkani though it is an official language of the country. He said he had written letters seeking that this should be set right.