All India Konkani Parishad


The All India Konkani Parishad is a national conference held in India. It supported the Konkani people and Konkani language.

History

The Konkani Parishad was launched when India's struggle for freedom was at its peak. The organisation was founded by the late Madhav Manjunath Shanbhague of Kumta, Karnataka, on 8 July 1939. 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
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.
  1. Inclusion of Konkani programmes in all India Radio and Doordarshan
  2. Introduction of Konkani in school and college education and preparation of Konkani textbooks
  3. Making Konkani available books in public libraries
  4. Establishment of Konkani Bhasha Mandals in various states
  5. Getting advertisements for Konkani periodicals
  6. Recognition of the language by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi
  7. Inclusion of Konkani in the 8th schedule of the country’s constitution
  8. Official language status for Konkani in Goa
  9. Statehood for Goa
  10. 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 ChairmanPresidentInaugurated
First 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
Second Adhiveshan31, December, 1940, UdupiT. M. A. PaiMr. Jerome Saldanha
Third Adhiveshan4,5, April, 1942, MumbaiMr. Vaman Raghunath Varde Valavalikar aka Shenoi GoembabProf. Armando Menezes, Academician & English poet
Fourth Adhiveshan1949, MumbaiDr. Mafaldo Ubaldo MascarenhasAnandashram Swami
Fifth Adhiveshan23,24 February 1952 MumbaiDr. Mariano Saldanha, a scholar of international repute Rt. Rev. Valerian Cardinal Gracias, India’s first Cardinal
Sixth Adhiveshan27,28 April 1957 MumbaiDr.Sumitra Mangesh Katre, Renowned linguistAcharya Kaka Kalelkar Gandhian Intellectual & Eminent Gujarati writer
Seventh Adhiveshan16, May, 1960, KarwarDr. B.A.Saletore, Noted HistorianShrimat Dwarakanatha Teertha
Eighth Adhiveshan26,27 May 1962, Madgaon Dr.Manohar Rai Sardesai, Eminent Konkani PoetViolet Alva, Vice President, Rajyasabha, Indian Parliament
Ninth Adhiveshan29,30 September 1967, MumbaiBakibab Borkar, Eminent Konkani PoetVasantrao Naik Chief Minister of Maharashtra
10th Adhiveshan9,10 February 1974 PanajiK.K.Pai, Chairman & MD, Syndicate BankDr. Suniti Kumar Chatterji, President Sahitya Akademi
11th Adhiveshan21,22 February 1976, MangaloreK.K.PaiChandrakant Keni, Eminent Konkani Writer
12th Adhiveshan12. 12th Adhiveshan - 11,12, February, KochiRavindra Kelekar, Eminent Konkani Writer & Jnanpeeth Award winnerA. K. Antony Chief Minister of Kerala
13th Adhiveshan12,13 April 1980, MumbaiF.A.MartirisN. Purushotham Mallya, Scholar & Noted WriterPratapsingh Raoji Rane Chief Minister of Goa
14th Adhiveshan27,28 February 1982, PanajiV.J.P. Saldanha Eminent Konkani NovelistDr.Umashankar Joshi, President, Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi
15th Adhiveshan11,12,13, May, 1984, BangaloreNagesh Sonde, Noted Konkani writerA.N.Bannerji, Governor of Karnataka
16th Adhiveshan24,25 May 1986, KochiAdv. Uday Bhembre Scholar & Eminent Konkani writerM. Kamalam, Minister, Govt. of Kerala
17th Adhiveshan6,7,8 January 1989, ManipalM. V. Kamath, Renowned Author & Veteran journalistEduardo Faleiro Union Minister
18th Adhiveshan14,15,16 December 1990, Ramnathi, GoaProf. R.K.Rao, Eminent Konkani author & TranslatorDr. José Pereira
19th Adhiveshan16,17 January 1993, Madgaon, GoaDattaraj SalgaonkarJ. B. Moraes Eminent Konkani PoetRavi Naik, Chief Minister of Goa
20th Adhiveshan11,12 February 1995, Shirsi, KarnatakaDr. Kashinath Mahale, Academician & ScholarR.V. Deshapande, Minister, Govt. Of Karnataka
21st Adhiveshan18,19 January 1997, MumbaiDr. William Madtha, Linguist & Academician
22nd Adhiveshan15,16,17, January 1999, BelgaumPundalik Naik, Eminent writerUmesh Katti, Minister, Govt. Of Karnataka
23rd Adhiveshan20, 21, April, 2002, MangaloreDr. Tanaji Halarnkar, scholar, columnist and editor of Konkani EncyclopaediaRamanath Rai, Minister, Govt. of Karnataka
24th Adhiveshan13,14,15 February 2004, KozhikodeBasti Vaman ShenoyMr. Rajagopal, Union Minister for Railways
25th Adhiveshan10,11,12 February 2006, Panaji, GoaMr. Paul Moras, Konkani writerInaugurated by Mr. S.C. Jamir, Governor of Goa
26th Adhiveshan5,6.7 February 2008, Kochi, KeralaAdv. Shantaram Naik Inaugurated by Mr. K.K. Pai, President, Dr. T.M.A. Pai Foundation
27th Adhiveshan5,6,7 February 2010, Sanquelim, GoaDr. H. Shantaram, AcademicianInaugurated by Mr. Ravindra Kelekar, Jnanpeeth Award-winning Konkani writer
28th Adhiveshan17,18 February 2012, MumbaiMr.Arvind Bhatikar, IAS Administrator & AuthorInaugurated: Mr. Ramdas Bhatkal
29th Adhiveshan28 & 29 February, 1 March 2014, Belgaum, KarnatakaMr. Gokuldas Prabhu Eminent Konkani WriterInaugurated by : Mr. R.V. Deshpande, Hon'ble Minister for Higher Education, Government of Karnataka