2008/12/2 Mervyn Lobo <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Forget about India having a complex identity. Look at Goa itself. Some > people > only speak Konkani, some only Marathi. Others speak both with some English > and Hindi too. Re-drawing state lines on language or cultural affinity is > surely > the domain of third rate politicians. >
Hi Mervyn, I think some 3-4 factors could largely explain the above reality (in Goa): * Different histories of the 'Old Conquests' and 'New Conquests' and also the time and manner in which they were added to the Portuguese Empire. * Outmigration (till recently largely Catholic) and in-migration into Goa (Hindi, etc). * Caste is also more of a factor for the Konkani-Marathi feud, rather than any innate love for Marathi itself. Btw, nobody (or almost nobody) speaks "almost Marathi". Many will swear by that language, use it for writing or learning at the primary level, or read newspapers in Marathi... but few speak it here on a regular basis. I'm not attempting to rake up a lingustic row here, and believe people should have the freedom to choose their own languages, for whatever purposes. The concept of an 'official language' is outdated and impractical -- except when it comes to controlling State resources. FN PS: I think having states based on linguistic lines is not a bad idea, provided the goal is primarily practicality... not the urge to whip up chauvinism, as has often become the case in post-1957 India! -- FN * Independent Journalist http://fn.goa-india.org M: +91-9822122436 P: +91-832-2409490
