This writer received frentic calls on 16th and 17th December, 2008 from well
meaning ersons, over a news item on one of the local English dailies (Gomantak
Times ) over the reported utterances of the President of the Goa Konknni
Academy Mr Pundalik Naik (now completing his term in office) at the function
held to felicitate the Jnanpith awardee the octogenarian Ravindra Kelekar from
Priol Ponda Taluka..
To quote the statement which shot up adrenaline levels of right thinking
Goans -- Pundalik - Bab is stated as per the news item to have warned the
Chief Minister of Goa Mr Digamber Kamat to " Give what is good for the people,
not what people ask" this was apparently made in the context of the demand made
by the Konknni Roman script protoganists and the CM's assurance earlier this
year during the monsoon session of the Goa Legislative Assembly that he would
call a "special " session of the Goa Legislative Assembly to trash out once for
all the language issue. (though this is next to impossible given that there are
just 14 days for year end 2008)
Unfortunately due to exigencies of work this writer could not attend the
function and could therefore not stand in judgement over the reported
statement.
But since there was a request to this writer to ascertain the facts so as to
say from the horses mouth, this writer made frentic calls to the Goa Konknni
Academy supremo Mr Pundalik Naik both on 16th and 17th December, 2008.
Unfortunately the office merely stated that he was away or would come "soon"
this went on for a day and half. Then when asked to provide the mobile number,
they gave a number but there was no response from the other end. Apparently the
number was wrong.
This writer later this morning telephoned his residence and fortunately his
wife divulged the correct mobile number, and on being given the details of the
urgency of the matter she stated that he was away in Mangalore for two days
16th & 17th to attend a public function today evening but could be contacted in
the morning..
Accordingly Pundalik bab when informed telephonically of the news item and the
contents read out to him which aroused tempers among several readers, he
first stated that the context in which the statement was made and the way in
which it appeared in the press appeared to be incorrect.
Later he went on to re-affirm that for him Konknni irrespective of loyalty to
scripts, was the essence of Goan unity. When probed a little to enquire
what exactly he meant by the reported statement -- he said that his advise to
the CM was that only a literary person could understand what is best for the
people, just as a Doctor would know best what medicine his patient would need
and not give him what the patients asks.
When reminded that the elected representative viz the CM should reflect the
will of the people in a democracy and not behave like a dictator to decide what
is best for the people, he tried to wriggle out of the situation, again and
added that he was not interested in issuing a clarification to the daily as he
blamed one correspondent of that daily viz Mr Nilesh Khandeparkar as being
responsible for distorting such comments .
When brought to his notice that his above statement was akin to the statement
once made by the present Minister for Education Mr Antanasio (Babush)
Monseratte that he "knew what is best for the people of Taleigao" which earned
him the wrath of the Goans, he underplayed this statement and did not elaborate.
Notwithstanding the above this writer is convinced that that Mr Pundalik Naik,
intended to challenge the CM Mr Digamber Kamat, to go ahead and bring about
changes to the Official Language Act , 1987 meaning inclusion of Konknni in
Roman script.
These are theatricals resorted to by the miniscule votaries of the Konknni in
Devanagari script only which invariably is the Saraswat Brahman lobby (though
Pundalik bab does not belong to this lobby but merely kow tows to their
demands for reasons best known to him )and the other alibi is to spread
canards of Marathi protoganists making demands for Official language status
when most of these persons are migrants settled in North Goa, the next is the
boogie of Vishal Gomantak. Mr Pundalik Naik ideally as a Bahujan Samaj ought
to be happy to support the cause of Konknni in Roman script just as Mr Ramakant
Khalap has time again stated.
The latest diversionary tactic is the issue for special status for Goa though a
genuine demand it should be preceded by settling the language issue first
instead of giving it a silent burial.
GODFREY J. I. GONSALVES,
BORDA, MARGAO, 403 602, GOA. (INDIA)
+91 98221 58584 (24 HRS)
[email protected]
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