The Unconstitutionality of the Santiago Creole Variety as the "Kabuverdianu Language"! by David Leite
The officialization of the "Kabuverdianu Language" (KL) is once again on the agenda, supported by ALUPEC, an alphabet approved by a government bill in 2009 when José Maria Neves was the Prime Minister.
“Time is elapsing”, the fervent supporters of its officialization proclaime: "It must be done, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Cape Verde’s Independence”. It seems that the "alupecadores" (as José "Zizim" Figueira jokingly called them) want to reduce Cape Verdean Creole to a mere item on a commemorative agenda!
Taking their words into action, these "alupecadores" have just published a translation of the "Constitution of the Republic of Cape Verde" into ALUPEC, another joke by the "alupecadores" who, with this translation are simply trying to impose Santiago Creole as the "Kabuverdianu language"! Now, this translation of the Cape Verdean Constitution (“Konstituison") is unconstitutional, and I will explain why.
The Constitution of the Republic of Cape Verde, in its Clause 9, determine that: "The State shall promote the conditions for the officialization of the Cape Verdean mother tongue, along with the Portuguese language" - nevertheless, the Constitution does not say that the Creole of Santiago (or of any another Cape Verdean Island) is the "Kabuverdian Language". Meanwhile, no politician, no lawyer, jurist or constitutionalist participated in this process, which was carried out by one journalist and a retired diplomat until it assumed its current status, meaning that:
Affirming that the Creole of Santiago (or of any other island) is the “Kabuverdianu Language” is political trickery and an intellectual hoax;
Any attempt to officialize the creole variety of any specific island as the Kabuverdianu Language" is a breach to what the Cape Verdean Constitution states;
It is disrespectful to the existing linguistic diversity of the Cape Verdean Islands;
It is a dividing manoeuvre, as it automatically excludes the children of the Cape Verdean Diaspora who have a different Cape Verdean creole linguistic background.
At the same time this is equivalent to saying that:
Passing off the Creole of Santiago (or of any other island) as the "Kabuverdianu Language" is a political trap and an intellectual imposture;
Any attempt to make any single island's creole official as a the "Kabuverdianu Language" is a violation of the Constitution;
It is disrespectful to the linguistic diversity of the islands; and
It divides Cape Verdeans and excludes the children of the Diaspora.
All this under the high patronage of the President of the Republic of Cape Verde.
You cannot mess with the Constitution! The President of the Republic should be more circumspect instead of sponsoring the "alupecador" current as well as its leader Manuel Veiga. It would be good for the President to keep a distance, as he has correctly done in the fratricidal war for leadership within his party, aware that the issue of the "Kabuverdianu Language" is much more controversial, due to its utmost importance to the Nation and not only to a political party in particular.
"Don't involve me in this issue", he declared to his political coreligionists”. However, at the same time, he sets himself up as the patron of the "alupecadores"! Anyone with common sense should advise the President to stop piloting this "Titanic"... because, in the event of a sinking, the crew will jump overboard, and the innocent passengers will be the ones to perish!
The ALUPEC/KL divides Cape Verdeans and excludes all emigrants
Approving a single variety of Creole as the "Kabuverdian Language" is not only an attack on our dialectal diversity, therefore spreading division amongst Cape Verdeans, but is actually more serious than that. Let us look at some relevant details: What about our emigrants? The Veiga / Neves project excludes and discriminates against the children of the diaspora and also sets Cape Verdeans living abroad apart from those living in the motherland.
We should bear in mind that Creole does not need ALUPEC to be an international language! Our emigrants did take it to Luanda, Pawtucket, São Tomé, Rotterdam, Rome, Luxembourg, Dakar, Paris, and to many other countries and cities worldwide, and it is the language they taught their Cape Verdean children abroad. Now they will have to relearn their own mother tongue just because of a handful of ‘enlightened’ people who took control of it!
How about those who were born in the Diaspora? In what schools will those born in the Diaspora learn ALUPEC?! And what for? How useful would this "particular island" alphabet have to them in the countries where they live and work? How will they be able to interact with those who stayed back on the islands without making serious spelling mistakes?
Who benefits from an official language that does not respect national linguistic differences, divides the nation and excludes emigrants?
ALUPEC is a ruse to impose Santiago Creole on us as the "Kabuverdian Language"!
The ALUPCE "officials" claim that it is a standard alphabet that may be adapted to all the different varieties of Cape Verdean Creole. I confess that ALUPEC doesn't bother me. But, let us face things head on: the alphabet is one thing, and an "official language", a phonetic-phonological language in which everyone is free to write as they usually express themselves orally is something else!
And what about Snontom Creole, what do you think of it? Together with Creole de Soncente, Creole di Fogo and Brava, Bubista, Pache Parloa and Creole de Sal? They all can speak for themselves against this Machiavelli attempt of monopolizing our sociolinguistic reality.
Every single sentence or phrase would be said and written differently on each of the aforesaid islands! Where is the standardization after all? What Cape Verdean language do they want to impose to us? How is it possible to design a language (be it official or not) that gives each speaker the freedom to write according to their own particular pronunciation and accent, as they please? What kind of cacophony is this, and who is responsible for this linguistic madness?
The ALUPEC/KL is a complex issue that continues shrouded in biased controversy, that is, in which some have the right to speak and others do not. There is no debate, and only one selected group is given the floor in the national media, disregarding those who do not align with their objectives and purposes.
All this ado comes from the ALUPEC/KL hosts, who are uproaring louder and louder toward the public opinion, which is never taken seriously regarding this matter of national importance. Actually, the ALUPEC/KL says nothing to Cape Verdean society, which is otherwise poorly informed. ALUPEC/KL has its politicians, its linguists, its fans... but, beyond this restricted circle, it is not convincing at all. Even in Santiago, the cradle island, the people are wise and know that ALUPEC/KL is just talk to deceive the unwary.
The most literate segments of the Cape Verdean society are also at idle, expectantly observing this process with indifference and skepticism, but also as concerned as we are. Intellectuals and less educated people are unanimous when they say that our dialectal diversity is in danger, and that Santiago Creole, with all due respect, is not the "Kabuverdianu Language"!
Let's close ranks
Our mother tongue is rich in its diversity. That is why most Cape Verdeans view the officialization of the so-called "Kabuverdianu Language", in other words Santiago Creole, as an act of arrogance and folly, because it is detrimental to the varieties that exist on the other Cape Verdean islands. Both in Cape Verde and in the Diaspora, there is real apprehension about the consequences that will come from this Veiga / Neves adventurous project.
I am also worried about the tortuous paths our mother tongue is taking. I have always avoided a priori opinions, and take other people's reasons in due account first. Then, as I feel I have understood what the real problem is, it is the right time to express myself on whatever matter is at stake.
Those who speak louder are not always right, but it is time to give voice to silence. May artists, academics, journalists, poets, writers and Cape Verdeans in general speak out, so that we can stop the artisans of chaos, and who want to build a "Tower of Babel" on these islands and marginalize our Diaspora. God save our Mother Tongue!
The views expressed by this author in the text above do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ORKKA Music, its artists, or its staff.