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2006 * * * Y E A R * * * O F * * * T H E * * * S E N I O R
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Goa Sudharop Annual Awards on November 20, 2006 @ Mandovi Hotel @ 4:30pm
Chief Guest: Dr. Asha Vishwanath Sawardekar
A series of essays as a tribute to Goan Seniors can be found at:
http://www.goanet.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=524
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To The Hon'ble Chief Minister of Goa
Mr. Pratapsing Raojo Rane
from Basilio Magno (Spain)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Dear Honourable Chief Minister,
A hectic campaign has been launched by two stalwart Konkanists -Fr. Pratap
Naik s.j., Director of Thomas Stephen Kendra and the ex-MLA Mr. Tomazinho
Cardozo, President of Dalgado Konkani Academi, seeking equal status for
Konkani in Roman and Devnagiri scripts. When i read on the Internet of
their campaign, I jumped for joy that someone at last was standing up for
the Roman script, which I have been using to write not knowing any other
script to write in Konkani, the language I treasure most over English,
German, Portuguese and Spanish which I write and speak. As the Chief
Minister will know, Konkani is a very poetical language, and the only one
written in Roman script among all the Indian languages. I had written a
poem of 72 lines in praise of the Roman script, entitled: NOMAN ROMI
LIPIEK, which was this year published in their magazine by Dalgado Konkani
Akademi.
The Roman script has a long history in Goa, and is indeed the right script
in our Cyber age. I would go a step further and ask the Chief Minister not
only to give Romi equal status with Devnagiri, but also to take the lead to
romanise all Indian languages, as Goa is best suited to undertake such an
initiative. One day, for this, all other States will be thankful to our
Chief Minister and to Goa on the whole. And if anybody could accomplish
this, it is none other than our very intelligent Chief Minister Mr.
Pratapsing Raoji Rane, with the collaboration of all Catholic MLAs to make
this happen soon, to amend the Official Language Bill 1987 to read:
"Konkani language means Konkani in Devnagiri and Roman scripts. Your
repeated Chief Ministership may one day be forgotten, but this act of
accomodating the Roman script with equal status in the Language Act 1987
through amendment, will remain as a monument to you and will be remembered
for ever with love and gratitude by the minority community -the Catholics,
who primarily use the Roman script. This is my humble appeal from Spain to
you, dear Chief Minister. You will know me as the author-composer of the
World Goa Day hymn "Proud to be a Goan". Do make us feel proud of our Roman
script.
With kind regards, Yours truly, Basilio Magno
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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