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ROMI LIPI ACTION FRONT
c/o Rhythm House, Below City Hospital ,Opp. Meenaxi Hotel,
,Margao, Goa.403 601.Mob. 9822386579
Ref : RLAF /K.A /Press Date :
14.11.2008
Press Note
Only Devnagari Protagonists judged Books in Roman Script.
We have nothing against the awardee of the for Best Konkani Book , for this
year.
Infact, we congratulate Mr Tukaram Seth for being awarded the prize for the
best book in Konkani, declared this year .
We also have nothing against the judges in particular, as they have judged, to
the best of their abilities and within the guidelines, provided to them.
But we definitely have a big complaint, against the Kala Academy & the
Directorate of Art & Culture , for their wrong guidelines and also for choosing
the wrong judges, for the final panel.
We say wrong guidelines, because , inspite of repeated reminders by the Chief
Minister of Goa, Mr Digamber Kamat, that an injustice has been done to the
Roman Script writers for the last 21 years , the Kala Academy continues to give
the Roman Script writers a step-motherly treatment.
The Chief Minister, Shri Digamber Kamat, has repeatedly said , that in order
to negate the undue advantage enjoyed exclusively by the Devnagari Script
writers for the last 21 years, the Roman Script writers should be treated in a
separate category , for awards, for another 21 years, so that an even
playing field is available, to all those contributing towards the development
of Konkani, in Goa.
Arrogantly ., the Kala Academy , still continues to ill-treat those writing
konkani in the Roman Script.
What do we make of all this ?
Does the Chief Minister of Goa have any control over the Kala Academy ?
Or, is it that the Government Institutions of Goa think, they know better than
the Chief Minister, in all matters ?
Or is it, that there is an underlying, deliberate communal bias, perpetuated
by the Kala Academy, of Goa ?
We have also accused the Kala Academy, of having appointed wrong judges in
the final panel.
This is not to say, that the 3 judges of the final panel were in any way , less
qualified for the work entrusted to them.
This is only to say, that all the 3 judges of the final panel are proven
anti-Roman Script, and hence having a communal-bias.
>From among the 3 judges of the final panel selected by the Kala Academy,
>everyone knows that Shri. Tanaji Harlankar & Smt Madhavi Desai , have nothing
>but hatred towards Roman Script writers.
They look upon the Roman Script writers as untouchables.
The third judge, Mr. S.M.Borges , has self-baptized himelf as a Catholic for
Devnagari, so that everyone knows what he is.
Need we say more ?
Now, pray, will someone tell me, if there is any one among the final panel of
judges, who can be called neutral or who could have been fair, to the
Roman Script writers ?
Is this a mistake, of the Kala Academy? No its not!
A mistake happens just once. A mistake does not happen consistently, on a
regular basis.
This is deliberate and smells of communalism.
We have brought such happenings to the notice of the Kala Academy, on several
occasions in the past .
They just dont care.
They are on a destruction path. They only think on communal lines.
They believe, anything that does not belong to their faith , must be destroyed.
Cutting across party lines, eight M.L.As spoke on the floor of the House,
during the last Assembly Session, for the need to amend the Goa Official
Language Bill, so as to include the Roman Script.
The Opposition Leader spoke on behalf of the entire Opposition, agreeing to the
same. The Chief Minister expressed his anxiety to settle the issue once and for
all.
What has happened since then ?
Nothing, till date.
The next Assembly Session is due around February 2009.
Instead of any positive signs on the horizon, all we see is negatives of the
Kala Academy, like:-
1. No separate category for awards to Roman Script writers.
2. Only hardline Devnagari protagonists , will judge Books written in the
Roman Script.
With such an attitude, of the Government institutions, we should not be
surprised if, very soon, another Devnagari protagonist is appointed as the
President of the Goa Konkani Akademi.
May only God help , the so called Goan Unity then.
Wilmix Wilson Mazarello
(Convenor, Romi Lipi Action Front)
