Grammatical howler set off Goa discord? 1 Sep 2008, 0437 hrs IST,TNN BANGALORE: Was it is or was? Was it a grammatical error that has led to a controversy that could affect relations between Karnataka and Goa?
Karnataka's lawyers apparently made a grammatical error in an affidavit in the Supreme Court in reaction to a little-known border dispute petition filed by a Konkani NGO last year. The NGO - Goa Konkani Rajya Ekikaran Manch - had tried to implead in a petition filed by Maharashtra. The original petition by Maharashtra said it should get Karnataka's Marathi-speaking areas. The Manch said Konkani-speaking states should go to Goa. In reply to this, the Karnataka government filed a detailed affidavit that rejected the claims by Maharashtra and the Manch. Instead of saying "historically Goa was a part of Karnataka,†Karnataka's officials said "Goa is a part of Karnataka.†This has angered the BJP in Goa which discussed the issue in that state's assembly. What upset the Goan legislators was Karnataka's claim in para number 13 that said Goa is a part of Karnataka. Does the state government really believe this? No. What the government wanted to say was - Goa had been a part of Karnataka in the past. But what it ended up saying was - Goa is a part of Karnataka. Who erred? Government sources say the affidavit signed by the chief secretary was prepared by the office of the advocate general. However, the draft of the affidavit was prepared by the expert counsel H B Datar's office. Datar said he would not like to comment, saying whatever he had to say had been said in the affidavit. However, law and parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Kumar clarified that it was a grammatical error and not an intentional claim. "That must have happened out of oversight. It is a settled fact that Karnataka and Goa are two separate states. We only wanted to say Goa was a part of Karnataka. We said Goa is a part of Karnataka. It is an inadvertent mistake,'' said the minister. "Such small things should not be allowed to affect interstate harmony,'' says Kumar. "We believe that in a federal system, all the states should live with mutual respect and harmony. We will strive towards it,'' he said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bangalore/Grammatical_howler_set_off_Goa_discord_/articleshow/3429634.cms ~(^^)~ Avelino
