about us

The Konkanis of India – generally pronounced as Koknis – come from the Indian state of Maharashtra. There are Koknis who are Hindus, Christians (Goa) and Muslims. Kokni Muslims live mostly in the coastal region of Maharashtra, from Mumbai (Bombay), all the way south to Goa, and indeed parts of Kerala. They speak various forms of Marathi, including Kokni. The Kokni language itself also comes in many forms. There are also Koknis who prefer to speak Urdu.

The Koknis who have established themselves in Luton are approximately 500 and growing – small in comparison to the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities. We first came to the town in the 1960s – from India, South Africa, post-independence Kenya and other places. Most Koknis retained strong links with their villages in India – Khed, Sakhroli, Furus, Tisenghi, Mazgaon to name but a few. These connections continue to remain strong.

From its modest beginnings, Kokni Community Luton (KCL) has now grown into a registered charity running recreational, educational and social services for men, women and children.

In deciding to set up an association, our founders said they wanted to “create a feeling of warmth, develop friendship, learn to appreciate other people’s culture and in turn help them understand our traditions. This would help create a harmonious society, irrespective of race, colour or creed”.

Those principles remain as true today as they did then.