Apparently stung by the criticism of the ruling coalition showing mere lip sympathy to the genuine demands of the Roman Script Movement and followig the hectic lobbying which took place yesterday by this writer and another member Cosma Fernandes of Dalgado Konknni Akademi the INC MLA from Pernem Constituency Mr Jeetendra Deshprabhu took up the issue of demands made by the Roman script Movement this afternoon 30/8/2005 on the floor of the Goa Legislative Assembly while replying to the debate on Demands for Official Language.
Almost being non committal to the first demand viz; equal status for both Devnagiri and Roman script to be introduced by an amendment to the Official Language Act 1987, Mr Jeetendra left it to his Government to examine the social and political implications of this demand while also admitting that the Government was sensitive to the aspirations of a section of the Konkani Roman script writers tiatrist etc who had nurtured the script for almost over four centuries. He said that there were several scripts like Kannada Farsi Devnagiri and Old Modi script which were kept alive and attributed the flourishing of these scripts to the people who used such scripts. Abbreviating the thirteen point demands viz; DEMANDS OF ROMAN SCRIPT MOVEMENT 1. Goa Government should give equal and official status to Konkani written in Devanagari and Roman scripts. Amend the Official Language Act,1987 2. (c):"Konkani language" means Konkani language in Devanagari and Roman scripts. 2. Recognize Dalgado Konknni Akademi (DKA) as the official NGO of Konkani in Roman script and give grants 3. Appoint the president of GKA from the Roman script group. 4. Amend GKA Constitution to include a nominee of Dalgado Konknni Akademi as ex-officio member of GKA. Give equal representation to Devanagari and Roman script among the three nominees of GKA 5.. KA should be ordered to give awards to Roman script Konkani writers, and extend to them all other projects and schemes 6. Kala Akademi must give Gomantak Sharada Puroskar to Konkani Roman script writers 7. Kala Akademi should promote cultural forms of roman script Konkani. 8. Name new theatre for the performing arts in Fatorda in honour of Late João Agostinho Fernandes, popularly known as "Pai Tiatrist". 9. Govt. must promote tiatrs mandos deknis etc 10. Govt.should publish books both Devanagari script and Roman script. 11. Lessons from Roman script Konkani must be given equal represetation without changing the language and style.Syllabus should include Konkani literature written in Roman script. For college and post graduation 12. Konkani has two representatives in Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi.Of three names Goa Govt. sends to Sahitya Akademi as its nominees. Include names of Devanagari writers and Roman script writers by turns. 13. To promote Konkani films the Govt. must establish a separate board withequal representation of artists from both scripts. ####################################################### in a nutshell he pleaded with the Government to ensure that no stepmotherly treatment be given to the Roman script but to ensure a healthy growth of the script alongside the Devnagiri script in the State. Another member the Deputy Speaker Ms Victoria Fernandes in an emotive appeal also requested the Government to be sensitive to the demand for Roman script. She explained at lenght the injustices meted out to the Konkani Roman script referring to the demands as genuine and long felt need. She was confident that the Government would evolve a consensus at the earliest and ensure that due "safeguards" be given to this demand. Later summing up the discussion in his reply to the debate, the Chief Minister Mr Pratapsing Raoji Rane of INC holding the portfolio of Official Languages agreed with the demands raised by his colleagues Mr Jeetendra Deshprabhu and Deputy Speaker Ms Victoria Fernandes the Santa Cruz MLA and assured the House that his government would not do everything to safeguard the sentiments of the Konkani Roman script Movement but did not commit to an amendment as of now. The House finally passed the Demands for grants for Department of Official Language A noteworthy observation was that during the discussions on the Roman script the coalition partners Dr Wilfred A De Souza of the NCP the Minister for PWD Mr Sudin Dhavlikar of the MGP and the Leader of the Opposition Mr Manohar Parrikar BJP and other BJP MLA's were present. The Goa Pradesh Congress Commitee President the MLA of Ponda Mr Ravi Sitaram Naik was also present. But all appeared sympathetic to the demands of the Konkani Roman script movement. As already reported this writer met the Leader of the Opposition Mr Parrikar yesterday, the President of the BJP Mr Rajendra Arlekar " ex-MLA" the ex Law Minister Mr Francisco D Souza MLA Mapusa and they seem to also be keen on bringing out an amendment to the Official Language Act 1987 in the next session in January 2006 which may put the ruling coalition into embarrassment. Speaking to this writer after the Demands were passed the INC MLAs were confident that the issue will be deliberated positively at the Congress Legislative Party meeting on 1st September, 2005 in the presence of Mrs Margaret Alva looking after the Goa Desk and ultimately evolve a consensus before an amendment is brought about. However the support for Roman script Konkani has also started coming from other ex MLAs . The ex Deputy Speaker Mr Simon D Souza in a tele-talk this morning with this writer agreed that an amendment would be necessary to ensure necessary safeguards. However the general feeling is that is that while "all politicians of the past espouse the cause of the Roman script" they fail to explain what made them ignore the issue when they were in power. The same is the case of some more than one term MLA's of the INC Another ex Independent MLA and now with the United Goans Democratic Party Mr Radharao Gracias met this writer in the precincts of the House today afternoon during the session and sought to justify his unanimous support to the RSM by ferreting out from the Goa Legisaltive Assembly Library an extract of " The Goa Daman and Diu Official Language (Amendment) Bill 1994 (Bill No:3 of 1994) in which he had then proposed to the government to bring about an Amendment of Section 3 ---- In the first proviso to sub section 1 of section 3 of the Goa Daman & Diu Official Language Act 1987 after the words "Marathi language " the words "and Konkani language in the Roman script" shall be added. Tos justify this amendment in the Statement of Objects and Reason --- it was stated ----- ---- quote --- The Marathi language has been given a certain status under the OLA because marathi is the language of religion, culture and business of the Hindu community of Goa. Likewise over the last 450 years the Catholic community in Goa has been using the Roman script for Konkani for all religious cultural and business purposes . The entire liturgy of the Catholic community is in the Roman script . The "teatro" and the "Mando" which are the cultural outpourings of the community have also developed thorough the Roman script. The first ever book printed on the continent of Asia was in the Roman script. In short the Konkani language in Goa has been kept alive and propagated through the Roman script , in which lot of literature is produced. Hence it is necessary to preserve and encourage konkani in the Roman script. The Bill seeks to achieve this objective. ---unquote However the then INC Government did "not feel it appropriate" to pass the bill even though just five years had then lapsed after passing the Official Language Act and the first hardships were encountered by the Konkani Roman script lovers explained Mr Gracias to this writer in the Chamber of the Deputy Speaker Ms Victoria Fernandes. Given the situation it is now hoped that the Roman Script Movement will hence forth gather more strenght to achieve the objective of ONLY AN AMENDMENT to ensure that the 18 years injustice is set right. Meanwhile watch out for more interesting insights on how the Goa Konkani Academy functions with its all "Devnagiri Only" members running the academy. The shocking revelations necessitate that the Government should keep a thorough check on the finances of the GKA. >From the Secretariat end PORVORIM Godfrey J I Gonsalves Borda Margao Goa [EMAIL PROTECTED] 9822158584
