ROMI LIPI ACTION FRONT
c/o Rhythm House, Below City Hospital, Opp. Meenaxi Hotel
Margao, Goa.403 601.Mob. 9822386579
Ref :RLAF/PRESS
Date: 22.8.2010
Roman Script – Our Human Right
On the 15th of August 2010, we observed the 64th Independence Day of India.
The Independence Day of India, is indeed a day of celebration for all
Indians.
On this day, our nation was liberated from the British Colonialists, our
British Masters for almost 200 years.
The greatest gift of Liberation for us is the restoration of “Human
Rights”.
No more Suppression. No more Oppression. No more Masters. Each one , a
Master of himself or herself.
With Liberation we are all expected to receive freedom to think
independently & freedom to express independently without fear of anyone.
But in reality, have we infact, received such “Freedom” ?
Are we really free to think independently ? Are we really free to
express ourselves independently ? Are we really free to choose & decide
for ourselves independently ?
Or, do we still remain suppressed & oppressed ?
Is it that someone else , is still deciding for us ?
Is it that through Independence, we have only changed our Masters ?
Have the British Authoritarian Masters been replaced by our local
Indian Authoritarian Masters ?
Think for a while. Why do even such thoughts come to our mind ?
The fact, that even after 64 years of Freedom , we still have to wonder
if we are really free, speaks for itself.
The very fact that such doubts are being expressed by the Common man
in India , even today, means there is definitely a “hazy-picture’” out
there.
There is definitely something for all of us to think about.
Exactly 14 years later, on the 19th 0f December 1961, a similar story
of Liberation & Independence was repeated in Goa .
Goa was freed from the Portuguese Colonialists, our Portuguese Masters
for more than 450 years.
About 50 years have passed since then, and the common man in Goa still
feels, nothing has changed for him, except his Masters.
The Common man of Goa is still not free to think freely, express freely
nor decide freely.
Talking of expressing freely, I happen to be a living example of such
suppression & oppression by the so called local Goan Masters (The
Ministers & M.L.A s of Goa).
I want to read & write my mother tongue Konkani in the Roman Script.
It is my wish , my right , and I don’t owe any explanation to any one ,
as to why I want the Roman Script.
It is my basic human right to decide for myself, what is good for me.
But my local Goan Authoritarian Masters will not allow me.
I am not alone in this situation. Just like me , there are
approximately 4 lakh Goans in Goa and another 4 lakh Goans outside Goa,
who feel the same towards the Konkani in the Roman Script.
Our Local Goan Masters in the Goa Legislative Assembly, without even
considering the wishes of these Goans , passed a Bill in February of
1987 , to suppress & oppress the common man of his freedom to read &
write Konkani in the Roman Script.
Through this Bill of February 1987, they are telling us that we may
continue using the Roman Script if we wish, but the Government of Goa,
will at no point, support it.
Through the same authoritarian Bill , these masters are telling us
that our money ie. the Tax collected from us , will be used by them
to develop someone else’s Script, but not our’s.
Through the same Bill, these local Masters are telling us that even if
we continue reading & writing Books in the Roman Script , they will use
the money collected from us to give Awards to Books written in the
Devnagari Script & to give grants to Schools teaching Konkani only in
the Devnagari Script.
These Authoritarian Masters have already started, to a large extent,
using money collected from Roman Script users to tutor Government
Servants in the Devnagari Script.
In short , they are telling the 8 lakh users of Roman Script , “Get
lost! You have no right to decide what’s good for you. You are second
class citizens in Liberated Goa”.
Is this not Oppression ? Is this not Suppression ? What difference has
Liberation made to the lives of these 8 klakh Goans ?
What freedom of expression have we 8 lakh Goans received ?
How, then , can we say that we are free, in Independent Goa ?
The irony of the situation is, that the remaining 10 lalkh Goans , who
have no problem with the Devnagari Script, feel real sympathy for us ,
their brethren, but are afraid to speak out, for fear of angering
their local Authoritarian Goan Masters.
Yes, they are afraid of their , all powerfull Ministers & M.L.A s of Goa.
One really wonders then , what benefits have Goans received from
Liberation ?
No Freedom to think independently. No freedom to express independently.
No right to decide or choose what’s good for them.
The only difference they have seen , is a change of Masters
However, there is alway
