In Mangalore Konkani, Tulu and Kannada are 3 major languages of Mangalorean region. Unlike the Indian masses, the people of Mangalorean origin are hindering to speak in their mother tongue. Are we all ashamed to speak in public in our native tongue? Is it that we feel it is below our status to speak in our mother tongue and especially to teach our children our mother tongue?
In Mangalore, whoever makes some money and ones family?s status (economic) above the norm, they indulge on speaking in English. For an onlooker it seems like, they feel it is below their status to speak in their mother tongue. This problem becomes very apparent and rampant when the people of Mangalore migrate to other cities of our mother land and especially, when their family members are in Gulf or Western countries.
Among Mangalorean masses, the Konkani speaking people (Christians) when they have migrated to other countries, they simply forget the virtues of our culture and mother tongue. When they were in Mangalore, they were highly westernized population, who have tried to imitate western culture, as easy as catching a fish from a drying pond! Are we becoming the slaves of western culture in the name of adapting to the new culture that we live in?
I think we need to shed some light on this matter. I invite good constructive criticism and analysis on this subject by Mangaloreans.
Long live Mangalorean.com!!
Author: Stany DSouza- Chicago- USA.
