DEAR GOANS, ( and i define Goans as not only the people who have lived in Goa for generations BUT also 1/ those who have come from outside Goa and have integrated into and contributed to Goan society 2/ those of Goan origin who live outside Goa,whether in other parts of india or abroad....including second and third generation individuals who may not have been born in Goa ....in fact any person who is genuinely and sincerely interested in making Goa a model state for the world to admire......my only exclusion criteria are the one's who are only interested in Goa for monetary gain in particular and/or for taking something from Goa without giving anything back ) ,
Once again,let me start by re-capping my core points from my previous postings before proceeding to the purpose of this mail : 1) I firmly believe we cannot make a long term change for the better in Goa without changing the body politics of the state ( and this is not an easy task by any stretch of imagination ) 2) The only way we can achieve the above is if we get together,irrespective of religion,caste,socioeconomic/educational status and current residence ( and here i need to lay emphasis on the fact that even conservative estimates show that there are approximately 4 to 5 lakhs of Goans who live outside Goa....which assumes even more significance when the current population of Goa is only 14-15 lakhs ) I may sound idealistic and overambitious.....but i am also a realist ( particularly after the evaluation on the ground that i and my colleagues have done over the last 2 years or so of every level of the Goan socio-political scene over the last 2 odd years ). This is a very difficult task but i have absolutly no doubt that if we put our collective intellect together,we can overcome the money and muscle power which is currently running riot in Goa.We are going to take one step at a time....and although it may appear oblique without knowing the entire plan ( which i cannot divulge till i see more unity and less bickering on Goanet ), this is an extremely crucial juncture in our venture. I initiated my first posting on Goanet a few weeks back by mentioning the fact that our motherland is rich in God given natural resources and tourism addictive scenic beauty. However, in my personal opinion,in generations to come ( and long after the inevitable exhaustion of mineral deposits,concretisation of the greenery,loss of the golden sands on the beaches), the one factor which can and will sustain Goa is the unique amalgamation of eastern and western culture. The word "acculturation " as defined by the Oxford english dictionary has occured in Goa to a perfection and is the single USP ( unique selling point to those who have had not come across this business principle before ) which we need to preserve.....not purely from an emotional point of view but more importantly if grandchildren and great grandchildren...and future generations of Goans are to find a livelihood in Goa. Coming to my central issue in this posting ( if you have survived the ramblings above ) : Over the last few days,there has been a spurt of postings on Goanet regarding Romi script Konkani.In my mind, there is grave injustice being done here ( and the posting by Dotor Fransisco-bab Colaco...which has also appeared verbatim in todays O Heraldo, highlights the issue ). In my ( humble ) opinion,if we do not act NOW,one of the symbols of Goan identity ( particularly in context of the paragraph above ) and something the "Niz Goenkar" should treasure.... will be lost to posterity in a generation or two. I would suggest we initiate a campaign by framing a petition in support of immediate implementation of equal status for konkani in both romi and devanagari script and address it to the chief minister of Goa ,leader of the opposition in Goa and the prime minister of India.All those who support it can put down their electronic signatures (which should be in the form of their full name,address....and ideally telephone numbers as well as email addresses ) If such a campaign is commenced ( and ideally the petition should be written by apolitical individuals based in Goa ), I give you all my word of honour that i will match every signature from those I do not know personally with one from those who are my friends and colleagues ) Deo Borem Korun / Mog Asundi, Arjun Eklawya Sadiq-Saldanha
