Dear Marshall,
I share your reasoning that there is no justification in including MARATHI
protagonists in the discussion on KONKANI if the issue is limited to sorting
out the rift of the SCRIPTS created intentionally by the Official Language Act,
1987 [When Pratapsingh Rane was CM. Dr. Wilfred de Souza then, as now, was not
an MLA. Luizinho Faleiro (goa congress) and Adv. Uday Bhembre (independent) had
NOT OPPOSED but 'walked out' before the vote.... on 04 February, 2008].
Having said that, Marathi need not be a bogey that frightens us even now because
1. Marathi has all the facilities that Konkani in Devangri has, save the
"label" [It is not the "Official Language" but can be used for all "Official
Purposes"]
2. There are 800-plus Marathi medium Govt. Primary Schools and less than 100
Konkani GPS. So the Goa govt. continues to promote Marathi.
3. Goa Marathi Academy gets almost as much grants form the Govt. as the Goa
Konkani Academy [about Rs.15 million per year] plus it has a Rs 5 million grant
for construction.
4. More applications and letters are received in Marathi in a month than in
Konkani in a year by the Goa Govt.
5. More Marathi newspapers are sold in Goa in a day than all Konkani
publications in all scripts in a month. [The Devanangri SUNAPARANT sells next
to no copies each day and does not even have a full-time editor at present.]
In contrast, Konkani written in the Roman script is
1.Not recognised as a LANGUAGE [leave alone "Official Language"] in Goa
2. Not taught in a single GPS
3. Has only been promised Rs.1.5 million BUT given no money thus far
4. Applications accepted by Goa govt but in insignificant numbers annually [GKA
accepts applications in Romi lipi]
5.Does not have a daily newspaper [but the number of magazines is increasing]
The blackmailers are NOT the Marathi lobby but, rather, the Devanagri lobby
that is scared that it will lose control over the language if Romi is accepted.
They are just being good ventriloquists.
Do a caste analysis of the so-called "Catholic" priests [Catholics for
Devanagri] who support the Devanagri and you will know that caste runs thicker
than language ....just as in politics. Cast your vote and vote your caste.
Pragmatic persons like Dr. ManoharRai Sardessai and Ulhas Buyao are few and far
between.
"Kitle aile, gele
Otthra Jun! ...
Ambea mullant kuddkuddtta
Gavddeacho por ozun!"
The use of the Konkani word chamar for a cobbler still creates ripples in the
Goa Legislative Assembly. I wonder what the Gavddeacho por would say if someone
asked or said "Tum gavddo!" Is it "Ganv kospi to gavddo?" as GAKUVEDPresident
Durgadas Gaonkar says, or is it an insult.
Personally, I care a damn about the OFFICIAL status for Konkani written in the
Roman script. HOWEVER, the Goa Government cannot negate the existence of
Konkani written in the Roman script by the ridiculous definition of "Konkani
means Konkani written in the Devanagri script" in OLA, 1987. Why not simply
state the truth that the Official language of Goa is ANTRUZI. It is now written
exclusively in the Devanagri script ....though even Shenoi Goembab wrote in
Romi once upon a time! Perhaps, those dozen books are NOT Konkani, either.
Konkani written in Roman script is a PEPSI ..... nothing "Official" about it!
Mog asundi.
Miguel
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:28:19 +0530 (IST)
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [Goanet] Discussion on Official Language Act 1987 in the Goa
Assembly
Message-ID:
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Fr Pratap Naik wrote:
Parrikar was the best speaker. He had done thorough home work. One could see
this the way he spoke and presented the matter in the house. He suggested to
form a committee comprising MLAs , Marathi protagonists
and Roman script Protagonists and within two months to come to a consensus on
the language issue and to settle it based on the views of the majority.
Comment:
I would read a lot of hidden meaning in this suggestion. I do not see why
Marathi protogonists have to be co-opted into a committee to take a decision on
according equal legal status to Konkani in the Roman script.I would not be
surprised if it is a back-door attempt to secure official and equal status for
Marathi by blackmailing the Konkani (Roman script) protogonists by conceding
them equal status for Konkani in the roman script in exchange for official
status for Marathi. In fact, in the interview with Rajan Parrikar, if I
remember correctly, Manohar Parrikar did make such a suggestion.It would be a
pyrrhic victory for the roman script Konkani protogonists were this to happen.
Regards,
Marshall
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