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Tuesday, 20 February 2007 09:11 |
On 5th March, 2007 the Indian National Congress Party
led coalition government with NCP, MGP and an
Independent, will table a Bill on grant of official
language status to both Konkani in Roman script and
Marathi during the second and final 5 day session of
the fourth Goa Legislative Assembly ending 9th March
2007.
In all probability the Chief Minister, Mr Pratapsing
Raoji Rane who holds the portfolio for Official
Languages will be the obvious choice to introduce the
bill and ensure its passage in the same session. It
is bound to receive the support of both the ruling and
opposition.
in Roman script was a long pending demand of the
protoganist of Konkani in " Romi lipi". The Church
viewing the groundswell support of the masses had
distanced itself from the issue having committed a
blunder in falling head over heels in accepting the
OLA 1987 with Konkani in Devanagari script as the
Official language. This foolish move put its own
Catholic community into peril for the last over 20
years and on the other in a hypocrite spirit
publishing the first "Povitr Pustok" Holy Bible in
Konkani "Romi lipi".
Thus once accorded official status justice will be
done to Konkani in the Roman script after 20 years of
the passing of the Official Language Act on 4th
February, 1987. It will also perhaps leave in peace
Goa's first martyr for Konkani late Master Floriano
Vaz of Gogol Fatorda belonging to the ST community who
was fired point blank at the height of the language
agitation on 20th December, 1986, besides the other
six martyrs from Agacaim.
In the meanwhile protoganist who were demanding
official language status to Marathi will now be put
into a piquant situation once recognition of Marathi
as official language is granted. Not many Bahujan
Hindus want offical status to be granted to Marathi.
In fact many put their mother tongue as Konkani in
their resumes for employment.
While there is no denying the fact that Marathi is
used by every Hindu in both cultural liturgical and
commercial purposes just as Catholics use Konkani in
Roman script; the grant of "official status" at this
stage when the demographic composition in the state is
rapidly changing due to high influx of non goans
---will certainly cause encumberances to Bahujan Samaj
Hindu community who will now find it difficult to
compete with Maharashtrians who will easily make a
forceful entry into the Government portals having a
better command of both written and spoken Marathi in
its refined form.
As it most of the deputationists from Maharashtra who
entered government portals after Liberation on
19/12/1961 have their next of kin well ensconed in the
Government.
Not that this was not happening with the "near
official status" that was granted to Marathi in the
OLA 1987.
In any case it is for the Hindu Bahujan community to
come out in the open to oppose official status to
Marathi ----on this count only --- and the
protogonists of Konkani in Roman script will be only
too glad to support their move --- not otherwise.
According to some top political leaders who spoke to
this writer this evening, at a discreet meet they
expressed surprise that some of the stalwarts who
were present at the press conference last evening 19th
February, 2007 when Fr Conceicao D Silva issued a
"final ultimatum " to the Government to amend the OLA
to incorporate the words "and Roman script" were
actually enjoying the fruits of office as members in
various Government bodies and were apparently doing it
to better their poll prospects.
"Is it not fair for them to first quit such offices
and then issue ultimatum or castigate the Government?
" he quizzed this writer.
There was also apprehension being expressed by these
politicos at this impromptu meet this evening on the
REAL DEMAND of the protoganists for according official
status to Konkani in Roman script.
Is this status intended only to apportion to
themselves or the Dalgado Konkani Academy funds which
the Goa Konkani Academy gives to protogonists of one
language one script, they wondered?
Is it that the "tiatrists" playwrights are demanding
some share of this budgetary allocation to the GKA the
only recognised body of the language Konkani in
Devanagari script?
Will the demand for official language status to
Konkani in Roman script provide educational
opportunities to children in primary schools?
These and many questions remain unanswered.
That there is confusion and lack of logistics and
planning was also a subject of animated discussion at
this discreet meet in South Goa this evening --- It is
apparent from the fact that there have been several
change in names of the Fronts mooted by the top
protoganists heading the movement for official status
to Konkani in Roman script --first it was "Konkani
Lipiyacho Ekvott" with Fr Pratap Naik sj Director
TSKK Porvorim . Then it changed to "Romi Lipi Action
Front " with Mr Wilson Mazarelo tiatrist as its
Convenor then came the "Tiatristacho Saunstha" with
Prince Jacob, acting in league with RLAF and now the
latest is " Romi Lipiechi Chollvoll " with Convenor,
Fr Conceicao D Silva. Despite verbal assurances given
by Dr Wilfred De Souza, Dy CM and NCP leader, Mr
Churchill Alemao Mormugao Parliamentary Constituency
MP
ex Town and Country Planning Minister and Taleigao MLA
Antanasio (Babush ) Monserate, these were words of
wishful thinking. Many of the Catholic MLA's
including Mr Luisinho Faleiro Minister for Education
were against touching the OLA 1987 even Mr Eduardo
Faleiro ex MP and now Commissioner for NRI Affairs
with Cabinet status was not clear about his stand on
the official status to be accorded to Konkani in Romi
lipi so also was Mr Francisco Sardinha Speaker of the
Goa Legislative Assembly. This uncertainity arose
from the fact that the protogonists could not convince
these leaders the real motives behind grant of
official language status to Konkani in Roman script.
All this was bound to create an air of uncertainity
and hence lack of public support to this cause. It is
a known fact that in the cyberage every household
aspires for fluency in English which is now the
language of the stomach and the ladder of success
hence the luke warm support appears to be given for
this demand.
There is also further chaos in their thinking and
direction, and each one wants to project themselves as
"martyrs" for the cause of "Romi Lipi" not having done
enough justice while they were law makers.
Even at a time when Mr Radharao Gracias ex Independent
MLA tabled the Bill for grant of official status to
Konkani in Devanagari script he was ridiculed by the
present CM Mr Pratapsing Raoji Rane as a "rabid dog"
and none of the present protogonists supported his
cause then, though they now shed crocodile tears.
This writer has pieced up documentary evidence from
the news daily following the declaration on 4th
February 1987 of the Official Language Act and the
writings clearly indicate that they whole heartedly
supported Konkani in Devanagari script. Even the TSKK
had compromised on this status to Konkani with
Devanagari script only.
Yet another ill directed strategy is the group
demanding that Dalgado Konkani Academy may be
recognised as the official body for dispensing grants
recieved from the Government for the promotion of
Konkani in Roman script.
The most vital lacunae in the year long demand is that
while the esisting Goa Legislative Assembly is
competent to decide the issue --- there are some who
are out of power and wish to use this as an emotive
issue to stage a come back and hence they are only
interested in making it an election issue.
Meanwhile this Bill after introduction will definitely
provide a handle for regional political parties in the
INC heartland Salcete --- to arouse passions
whipping up sentiments against Marathi being accorded
the official language status.
But for a national parties like the INC and NCP it
will ensure victory in almost all the constituencies
and could cause a further dent in the election
prospects of the BJP .
There is also a rider to this Bill, once introduced
and passed may not receive the assent immediately and
the Government present or future could bide its time
in giving it statutory status.
For this Bill could be intended only to salvage the
party from the harm done to it by the present
Government following the Regional Plan fiasco.
In one stroke CM Pratapsing R Rane will have
implemented what was spread as a canard last year i.e
grant of official language status to Konkani Romi lipi
and Marathi.
From the Cavelossim - Mobor end
GODFREY J. I. GONSALVES,
BORDA, MARGAO, 403 602, GOA. (INDIA)
+91 98221 58584 (24 HRS)
gonsalvesgodfreyji@ yahoo.co. in
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