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----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, February 02, 2003 4:12 AM Subject: [goancauses] Parrikar has strategy to resolve language row > Parrikar has strategy to resolve language row > MARGAO, FEB 1 — — Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar has said he has a > strategy up his sleeve to resolve the language imbroglio dogging the state > since liberation and categorically stated that the mother tongue of Goans is > Konkani. (GS) The strategy is to play the Konkani and Marathi cards shrewdly for electoral gains. > He, however, pointed out that though Konkani is spoken by over 85 per cent of > the Goans, a significant number of the population still continues to writes > in Marathi. (GS) The strategy is most apparent here. What has Official State Language to do with all this? Did'nt he say 85 % of Goans speak Konkani? > He lamented that the the tragedy of the state is that the Official Language > Act is in English. “This is the real tragedy. Interpretation of the Language > Act has resulted in several problems just because the Act was drafted in > English’, he said. In a lighter vein, he said such a problem would not have > cropped had the Act drafted in either Marathi or Konkani. (GS) The strategy comes into actual play here. Blame it all on the English language. Our Indian Constitution is writtenin English too. And it has stood the test of time. Manohar Parrikar has proved to be a shrewd politician. And I endorse it. Any one who is a shrewd politician knows how to play the game of "divide and rule" > He declined to offer any comment when asked whether he blames the then > government for drafting the Act. (GS) If Manohar Parrikar was for Konkani as the State's Official Language, he would have stated here that the drafting of Act is faulty and biased in favour of Marathi. > The CM felt there should not be any hatred over the language issue. “Both Goa > Marathi and Konkani should develop richer in literature”, he asserted (GS) Development of Languages is not the issue here. The issue is the State Language. The state language must not be diluted. It must be one Language. Does he believe in One State Language? He should openly say Yes or No. > Pointing out that the state can always support this or that language, he said > a particular language will develop if only the people participate. Wrong again. This guy is diluting the issue. (GS) The State is under the obligation and duty to support its Official Language at all times. > Obviously referring to the criticism by some Konkani organisations that the > government sanctioned Rs 10 lakh grant for the on-going Konkan Marathi > sammelan, Parrikar said “if the Konkani organisations need money, we will > give. The government will not mind sanctioning Rs 40 to Rs 50 lakhs”. > Meanwhile, BJP’s mantra of “good governance” is to be exported to other > states by Parrikar, where the saffron party will be contesting the > forthcoming Assembly polls. (GS) As the Chief Minister, he cannot pander away the meagre resources of the State to further his re-election prospects and to consolidate the prospects of his party. There is better use for the money which is in short supply. Dishing 40 to 50 lacs to promote one or the other languages is definately not "GOOD GOVERNANCE" The chief minister should know what is. > This was disclosed by the CM when newsmen informed him that he has been > shortlisted by the party to campaign in the states going for the polls. > “Basically, the concerned BJP state unit will stress on the local agenda. > But, if I am invited for the campaign, the concept of good governance and how > the party won the Goa polls will be placed before the electorate”, he said. > Replying to a query, Parrikar said this concept gave the party a majority in > Goa, in the sense that its tally of seats increased from 10 to 18 now. > Asked to outline his views on Hindutva, the Chief Minister said “I feel that > one is a Hindu who believes in India. It is a way of life”, adding that the > concept is confused lot because of thinking in English. (GS) The Chief minister must understand that his BJP has not won the Goa Polls. He is misleading the people who do not know. The BJP only increased their tally. If the coalition partners withdraw their support , he goes. The UGDP, today, must do just that in revolt for his pro Marathi stance or else it will be known that Manohar Parrikar has purchased the UGDP. > Parrikar accused the Congress in Goa for raking up the Gujarat carnage during > the last elections. “Though it affected the Congress themselves, the issue > definitely created a fear psychosis in the minds of the minorities”, he > asserted. (GS) The Congress was right. When such a carnage is supported by the government and its Chief Minister, it becomes ethnic cleansing which is unprecedented. On that basis, Goans should have rejected the BJP. But this has not happened because Goans are Goans. No priorities, only self interests. During his stint in the BJP's campaigning in other states for the coming elections, he must warn the voters to check for their names on the electoral rolls for good measures. That would be pro-good governance campaign. > Justifying his claim, the CM said otherwise, he added that Assembly seats > such as those of Mormugao, St Cruz, Calangute etc would not have gone to the > Congress. > He said the BJP is trying to get to the minorities and convince them that the > BJP is not against them. “Unfortunately, our attempts have not fructified the > way we wanted”, he admitted and blamed the media, specially the English > newspaper. “The English media has not been favourable for us in taking the > message to the minorities”, he lamented. (GS) Manohar Parrikar cannot operate in isolation from his national leaders who have endorsed Hindutva as their election card. As a way of life, Hindutva is ineffective and impotent and most advocates of Hindutva would abandon it otherwise. > He again blamed the English media when when it was pointed out to him the BJP > is being dubbed as the communal party. (GS) The BJP is not being dubbed as a communal party. It is a confirmed communal party which deserves de-recognition as a mainstream national political party. > Parrikar said the party is now concentrating on the membership drive, which > has now crossed the one lakh figure. “The party is making a concerted attempt > to get the voters registered as members”, he informed. (GS) A stick and a Carrot policy. Nothing else. Which Goans will not sell himself to the BJP or anyone else if promissed jobs in the government? Manohar Parrikar should be ashamed to talk like this to the literate Goans. > On the party’s failure to make inroads in some of the constituencies in > Salcete and whether the party would go in for seat adjustments in the future, > Parrikar said “the BJP would not mind entering into strategic seat > adjustments with other outfits”. (GS) There are always judases who will sell themselves for a few pieces of silver, like Dr. Wilfred D'Souza, Churchill Alemao or for that matter even Luizinho Faleiro. And, mostly, Manohar Parrikar can count on them for their un-ending support. > Asked whether it would consider adjustments with the United Goans Democratic > Party in Salcete, he said “right now, both the party have come together to > form the present government. A number of things need to be sorted out before > the two parties fight the polls jointly”. (GS) At best the UGDP must pin Manohar Parrikar down to a 'one state language' issue. If he evades, he should be dropped. The survival of the UGDP will depend on this vital issue which concerns the future of Goa and Goans. Not because of anything else but only to remove the cancer of this language dispute from the minds of Goans. The UGDP, and for that matter, the Congress must remember that they have been looked upon as Goan Parties who would naturally uphold the interests of the Goan Konkani people. They must fight to secure the sole official language status for Konkani by deleting the Marathi diluting clause from the Act altogether, just like Maharashtra and the Maharashtrians fought bloody battles to neutralise Morarji Desai's designs to impose Gujarati on Maharashtra to make it an officially bilingual state. Have the Mergerist of Goa forgotten this? Anyone who wants Marathi to enjoy equal official status with Konkani as a state language of Goa should be considered as a traitor of Goa and Goans. > He said the BJP would tie up with others to see that scamsters and corrupt > leaders are defeated. “Last time, Somnath and Mauvin Godinho learnt the > lesson. The BJP now has on the list leaders like Luizinho Faleiro and > Dayanand Narvekar”, he said. (GS) It is unfortunate that the people of Goa has tolerated the scamsters as they did. Put it down to being faithful. Put it down to downright apathy. Put it down to irresponsibility towards their state and the future of their own children. Put it down to outright indefference. But Manohar Parrikar has used these scamsters in the best way he could and is now ready to discard them as pieces of soiled rags. They deserve what they get. They have gotten away with murder for far too long. > Replying to a query, he said the BJP does not intend to ditch anyone. Our > history on coalition politics is very clear, he added. (GS) How can it?? The coalition partners are the BJP's bread and butter. And in this, the long term interest of Goa and Goans does not figure. The stand of the "Goa Su-Raj Party" on the Official Language issue of the State of Goa is that: 1. Konkani is the sole Official Language of Goa. 2. It must be respected as such in all the official correspondence of the Government of Goa. 3. The status given to the Marathi Language in Goa's Official Language Act must be deleted. 4. Goa must remain one independent state with 'Konkani' as its official language. Goans please note that the Goa Su-Raj Party will fight the next Assembly Elections on the sole platform of the Language issue as per its stand above, of securing Goa's identity for good and of working towards fulfilling the Goan dreams of making Goa the "AMCHEM BANGARACHEM GOEM" through "Good Governance" Floriano Lobo President
