The serene coastal enclave of Goa, where beaches and beautiful Churches and Temples stand tall sometimes masks simmering tensions. A violent eruption of what can be only thought as lawlessness on September 18, 2025, shattered the illusion of tranquility. Social activist Rama Kankonkar, a 39-year-old firebrand known for his unyielding defense of Goan land rights, communal harmony and cultural...
Feast of Priests, a unique tradition in Chinchinim
The village of Chinchinim is renowned for its significant number of priests who serve in various ministries across the region. A unique and cherished tradition unfolds annually during the Feast of Our Lady of Hope, Patroness of the Chinchinim Parish, with priests hailing from Chinchinim gathering in the church a day after the feast to celebrate a special Mass...
Reclaiming Konkani: An Ontology of Difference against Scripto-Centric Ungrounding
Konkani, an Indo-Aryan language spoken by over 2.5 million people along India’s Konkan coast—from Goa and Maharashtra to Karnataka and Kerala—embodies a rich tapestry of cultural and linguistic diversity. Emerging from ancient roots close to Sanskrit, Konkani has evolved through migrations, colonial encounters, and regional influences, resulting in a mosaic of dialects such as Antruz Maharashtri, Bardeskari, and Karwari,...
Nagrization and Plural Konkani: Dialectical vs. Dialogical Sublation
The Konkani language, spoken primarily along India’s western coast in regions like Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Kerala, embodies a rich network of cultural, historical, and linguistic diversity. With roots tracing back centuries, Konkani has been shaped by influences from Portuguese colonialism, regional migrations, and religious communities. Today, it is written in multiple scripts—Devanagari, Roman (Romi), Kannada, Malayalam, and even...
Nagrization and Plural Konkani: Dialectical vs. Dialogical Sublation
The Konkani language, spoken primarily along India’s western coast in regions like Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Kerala, embodies a rich network of cultural, historical, and linguistic diversity. With roots tracing back centuries, Konkani has been shaped by influences from Portuguese colonialism, regional migrations, and religious communities. Today, it is written in multiple scripts—Devanagari, Roman (Romi), Kannada, Malayalam, and even...
The Haunting Materiality of Konkani
In the linguistic landscape of India, Konkani stands as a testament to plurality and excess—a language that refuses to be neatly contained within the boundaries of standardization. Yet, the process of “Nagrization,” the imposition of the Devanagari (Nagri) script as the singular, official medium for Konkani, seeks to expel this excess, viewing it as a “too much” that must...
Scripto-Centric Thinking and the Machine of Desire
In the lush, contested linguistic landscape of Konkani, where the winds of the Arabian Sea carry echoes of Portuguese hymns and Vedic chants, a spectral tension simmers beneath the surface. Konkani, the vibrant Dravidian-Indo-Aryan tongue spoken across Goa, coastal Karnataka, and Maharashtra, has long been a battleground for scripts—a polyphonic chorus of Roman, Devanagari, Kannada, Perso- Arabic and Malayalam...
The Lingering Shadows of Amnesia in world of Konkani
In the rich network of Indian linguistic heritage, few stories illustrate the perils of cultural forgetting as poignantly as the ongoing saga of Konkani. Drawing from Ganesh N. Devy’s profound critique in After Amnesia: Tradition and Change in Indian Literary Criticism, we can uncover a deliberate process of erasure that threatens the vitality of this vibrant language. Devy’s concept...
Coal Handling and BJP’s Corporate Servitude
In the idyllic state of Goa, celebrated for its golden beaches, swaying palms, and vibrant biodiversity, a grim battle is unfolding. The serene landscapes that draw millions of tourists annually are under threat from coal transportation projects that critics say are turning the state into a hub for industrial exploitation. At the heart of this controversy is Vijai Sardesai,...
Goa’s Coal Crisis: Corporate Power and Creative Resistance
In 1995, David Korten’s book “When Corporations Rule the World” warned that multinational corporations prioritize profit over people, exploiting communities and environments while undermining local governance. Korten’s vision of corporate dominance eroding democracy and sustainability resonates powerfully in Goa today, where the state is being transformed into a coal hub. The expansion of coal handling, railway double-tracking, and transportation...
