Thick heaps of the four volumes of Konkani language ‘vishwakosh’ or
encyclopedia , till now available only in hard copy, will now attain a
modern access. The four volumes of encyclopaedia work, initially started
by prominent Goan writer and academician late Manoharrai Sardessaiat of
Goa University, will now be accessed in digitized format, alongside
forming a base for a Konkani Wikipedia.
As mentioned by officials,
the Konkani Wikipedia is to be ready to access within upcoming six
months. With this, Goa University has turned out to be the first varsity
in the nation to enter into a creative commons licence that will permit
copyrighted produced data by an Indian university accessible to
internet users and open to modification (wiki), making Goa University a
victory of sorts of free information.
The university has signed a
three-year MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Centre for
Internet and Society's Access to Knowledge Programme. This centre
represents Wikipedia in India, and now also the Konkani Wikipedia
project.
After Google, Facebook and Yahoo, Wikipedia is the
fourth most used asset on the internet which operates as an internet
based encyclopaedia. Over Wikipedia, any of the users can upload new
information and can also update or amend an existing topic. The Konkani
Wikipedia is also planned to offer similar privileges to its users. GU's
Konkani department and the centre will manage the development from the
university campus.
"The Konkani vishwakosh covers all realms of
knowledge like any other encyclopedia. The Konkani Wikipedia will act as
a digitized repository of knowledge for future generations and Konkani
speakers across the world. I look forward to the pleasure of going to
the internet and clicking away to access a Konkani Wikipedia," GU
vice-chancellor Satish Shetye said.
Shetye told, GU is delighted
to relate with Wikipedia, which has become a global trend breaking the
monopoly of publishers and transforming the way of sharing of knowledge
into a democratic process.
GU registrar Vijayendra Kamat
mentions, "At present, it takes time for a page with information in a
regional language to download because they are usually found in the form
of scanned pages, which are accessible as images and not text. The
Konkani Wikipedia will make the text accessible as is the case of any
English text on the internet”,
The Konkani vishwakosh, containing four large volumes of total of 3,632 pages,
is
a work of period of 14 years. It was edited by late Manoharrai
Sardessai followed by the editor Tanaji Halarnkar. For the compilation
process, GU Staff members, Ranjan Naik, Kalpana Naik, Kanchan Mordekar,
Surekha Naik, Mukesh Thali and Shailendra Mehta contributed to it.
Konkani
vishwakosh or encyclopedia covers, concisely presented world
information with special weight given on information on Goa, Konkani,
Goan culture, folklore, history, geography etc. The Wikipedia is offered
in 20 Indian languages that includes Telugu, Assamese, Marathi, but not
in language Konkani so far.
Interested Students, Professors or
anyone else could contribute to this Konkani Encyclopaedia project by
enrolling online at
bit.ly/konkanivishwakosh, before 05 October 2013.
Thanks
Nitika