World Konkani Centre believes that the software, result of two years of work, will help resolve a major conflict between the different sections of Konkani-speaking community. Konkanverter is an online, free to use, automatic script converter for Konkani language. It will help Konkani writers reach out to a readership base almost four times larger than the present one.
Some adapted applications of the software can be immense. It can be made functional in every Konkani language website. It can also be used for offline purposes such as publishing. Konkani literature in the form of e-books with such conversion facility will benefit for its wide reach and readership. Research scholars will benefit as they will not be handicapped because of many scripts.
The project team is headed by Gurudath Bantwalkar, assistant director, World Institute of Konkani Language, with Konkani language experts like Melwyn Rodrigues, Gokuldas Prabhu, Tanaji Halarnkar, Rocky Miranda, Damodar Ghanekar and technical experts like Hariprasad Nadig of Sampada.net as advisors.
One language, 5 scripts
For many historical and socio-cultural reasons, Konkani people have been using five different scripts (Devnagari, Romi, Kannada, Malayalam and Perso-Arabic) to write in Konkani Language. Due to this, Konkani Literature has been divided into several script groups and not intelligible in entirety to every Konkani person. This situation has become an obstacle to a free-flow of Konkani literature and has created a rift between script communities in some domains like teaching Konkani in school and selection for awards.
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