-------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Add your name to the CLEAN GOA INITIATIVE | | | | by visiting this link and following the instructions therein | | | | http://shire.symonds.net/pipermail/goanet/2005-October/033926.html | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blasio Fernandes S199220 at emirates.com wrote:
> Dear Fredrick, > > My concern regarding the article below > > Marathi is not the language of the Goan people.. so why should it > receive grants from the Goan government for production of films in that > language. ? Says who? A signifciantly large section of Goans do use Marathi for literary and religious purposes. Marathi newspapers sell almost as many (or maybe a few more) than English-language newspapers each day in the state. The figure could be between 60,000 to 100,000 copies a day. At the primary level, there are many students still opting for Marathi (even if there is an element of lack of choice here, with most government primary schools being in this language). We need to recognise this reality. Saying that "Marathi is not the language of the Goan people" is like arguing that English is a "foreign" language in Goa, or that only Devanagari script can be the official one in Goa. These arguments sound logical. But they don't reflect the ground reality. Those adopting Marathi for various purposes -- or even claiming it as their mother-tongue -- are Goans. We are not talking about migrants into the state (even though the latter have a right to be taken into account too). Maybe they're saying this because of the way in which Konkani has been promoted in Goa, and the links between language, community and caste in this region. But the fact is, they are saying so. > Producing films in other 3 languages is justifiable according to me > because... Konkani - Mother tongue and official language of Goa Unfortunately, we in Goa are a divided lot, and can't agree on issues like identity, language, history, etc ... The mysterious "Ole Xac" wrote: > > Hindi - National language > > > Like marathi for maharastra, hindi is the language of > uttar pradesh. > > > > B. Colaço Yeah, that's again like calling English a "foreign" language. The reality is that India is a nation -- whether Xac can get over the end of Portuguese rule or not -- and Hindi is one of the official languages. Even otherwise, Goa is part of South Asia (not Southern Europe or a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China). So, the more languages we know from the region, the better. In the 'seventies, parents of Christian children of our generation mostly had a gag-reaction when we were compelled to learn Hindi and Marathi in school. The negative vibes caught on with us as kids. Today, we are grateful that we can speak and read and are not functionally illiterate when we travel 600 kms to Mumbai or Pune. It would have been even better if Goans had an open mind to studying languages like Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam or Gujarati. Not to forget Portuguese, French, Spanish (forget just Spain, look at the huge Latin American region, even if only as a market!), Italian, or Russian (despite its sharply decline in global influence and language of technology), German and Japanese. And, of course, Chinese, where Xac could help! FN -- ---------------------------------------------------------- Frederick 'FN' Noronha | http://fn-at-google.notlong.com Saligao, Goa, India | [EMAIL PROTECTED] Independent Journalist | +91(832)2409490 Cell 9822122436 ----------------------------------------------------------
