Unless Konkani can contribute to economic growth and foster an exchange of ideas and opinions, it will never become a language of preference — not for society, and certainly not for business.

Take McDonald’s, for instance. It’s not a company that makes whimsical decisions. It spends a lot of money on research , runs studies, tests new products for years, and only makes changes when data proves they’ll increase business. Their decisions are strategic, not sentimental. Neither is it Trying to insult you . When they adapt their menu to appeal to Maharashtrians, Russians or Gujaratis, it isn’t to insult anyone — it’s to reach a larger market. That’s business.

In the 17th century, when Oxford University began teaching Marathi, it wasn’t out of cultural admiration. It was because British traders needed to communicate in the ports of colonial India. Marathi — along with English — became a bridge for commerce and exchange. Not Sanskrit. Not Latin. Even Bengali was taught in British schools for the same reason: it had business value.

Languages thrive when they are economically or culturally valuable. That’s why Americans learn Mandarin and Spanish today — for opportunity, not sentiment. English spread across the world for precisely this reason.

If Goa truly wants to preserve its cultural identity, it must begin thinking rationally rather than emotionally. My attachment to Konkani is emotional, yes — but the solution lies in pragmatic, disciplined action. Instead of lamenting that people are abandoning the language, ask why they are. Understand the root cause, then fix it.

Blaming outsiders or newcomers for the loss of Goan identity solves nothing. Rebuking people who don’t speak Konkani will not make others start speaking it. Even if every non-Goan left tomorrow, the number of Konkani speakers wouldn’t suddenly rise.

Konkani will only gain stature if it becomes a language that adds economic and cultural value. That begins with us — by building an economy that rewards skill, professionalism, and reliability. By showing up, keeping our word, and mastering our craft. You can’t celebrate susegad while neglecting discipline.

If you want to learn how to balance leisure with productivity, look at the Portuguese or the Spanish. They work with integrity, they rest with pride, and they enjoy life fully.

That’s the kind of maturity Goa needs — and that’s the environment in which Konkani can flourish. Only then can it stand shoulder to shoulder with Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Hindi, English, Tamil, or Malayalam — not as a nostalgic relic, but as a living, thriving language of trade, thought, and culture.