*Cipriano Lopes …as I knew him.* *I have very few friends in Goa and among these very few friends , Cipriano Lopes was the closest . He had high regards for me and I thought of him as someone on whose sincerity and honesty I could depend.
He saw leadership qualities in me and motivated me to lead many social movements while he himself stood behind me strong as a solid rock .* *There were many issues of common interest between us.* *He was proud to be a Goan and so was I. He loved Goan art and culture and so did I.* *He resented any one destroying the Goan , God given , beautiful, natural environment and so did I.* *His work at the Doordarsan (Panaji) was exemplary . He did all within his powers to promote Goan Art & Culture through the television media. There will be hundreds of Goan artists who, if not for Cipriano Lopes, may have never had the opportunity to be seen on television. Cipriano looked out for talented Goans from the remotest corners of Goan villages and showcased their talent on Doordarshan (Panaji). For this he was greatly admired by every staff member of Doordarshan , Panaji ,Goa.* *Cipriano loved his mother-tongue Konkani , especially when it is written in the Roman Script as he himself grew up learning to read and write Konkani in only the Roman Script. It pained him to see the Romi Konkani suffer due to it’s non-inclusion in the Official Language Act of Goa 1987. He believed from his heart that this was a big injustice to the Goan community that grew up reading and writing konkani in the Roman Script. He was of the firm opinion that Romi Konkani should receive the same recognition as Devnagari Konkani in the Official Language Act of Goa, and he openly propagated for it’s inclusion in the same.* *Cipriano was my colleague in the Dalgado Konknni Academy for several years and actively propagated it’s aims and objectives. The work done by Cipriano in promoting Romi Konkani cannot be measured in any form as Cipriano was always a silent worker and never looked for any publicity for himself.* *In him I have lost a very good friend, guide and a motivator. The Romi Konkani movement has lost a leader .* *The “Romi Lipi Action Front” has lost it’s all important “right arm”.* *May God give him eternal rest .* *I salute you Cipriano , my friend , motivator and guide.* *……..Wilson Mazarello……….* * (Convenor, Romi Lipi Action Front* 3 Attachment