The Xavier Centre of Historical Research (XCHR) presents a discussion on the book Citizenship in a Caste Polity: Religion, Language and Belonging in Goa on June 22, 2023 at the XCHR museum, Porvorim.
Dr Jason Keith Fernandes, who is the author of the book, Citizenship in a Caste Polity: Religion, Language and Belonging in Goa, is researcher at the Centre for Research in Anthropology (CRIA) – ISCTE, Portugal.
The panelists for the discussion will be historian and researcher, Dr Fleur D’Souza; former civil judge, advocate and columnist, Cleofato Almeida Coutinho; and lecturer, researcher and media professional, Prof Shailendra Mehta.
Architectural historian and novelist, Amita Kanekar, will be the moderator.
The event will be preceded by tea at 5.30 pm.
ABOUT THE BOOK
During the 80s, there were demonstrations and violent protests in Goa, and it was only after this unrest that Konkani was declared the official language of the Union Territory of Goa.
Incidentally, Konkani was recognised only in the Devanagari script, while the Roman script was sorely sidelined.
Set against this historical background, Citizenship in a Caste Polity: Religion, Language and Belonging in Goa studies the need for the Roman script to be officially recognised and given equal status, too.
The author explores how language, citizenship and identity are intertwined, and by deliberately excluding the Roman script from the official language, the lower caste and lower class Catholics were subtly denoted as less-than-authentic members of society.
The book studies Indian secularism, while also studying a group that has remained largely underrepresented.
Citizenship in a Caste Polity: Religion, Language and Belonging in Goa has been published by Orient BlackSwan
WHERE: XCHR museum, Porvorim
WHEN: June 22, 2023
TIMINGS: 6 pm
CONTACT: +91 8007749363 or +91 79824 10404
