------------------------------------------------------------------------
* G * O * A * N * E * T **** C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S *
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enjoy your holiday in Goa. Stay at THE GARCA BRANCA from November to May
There is no better, value for money, guest house.
Confirm your bookings early or miss-out
Visit http://www.garcabranca.com for details/booking/confirmation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This morning almost all the local dailies front-paged
the CLP decision in bold headlines. They also hinted
that the CM Mr Pratapsing Raoji Rane and Goa Pradesh
Congress Committee President Mr Ravi Sitaram Naik
would shortly head for New Delhi apparently to seek
sanction of the Party High Command on the amendment to
the Goa Daman and Diu Official Language Act of 1987 to
incorporate the CLP decision of 31/07/2006 viz;
a) official recognition to Konkani in Roman script and
b) official status to Marathi.
But not surprisingly the " Konkani only in Devanagari
script" news daily Sunaparant (which has a poor
circulation )carried it in fine print on front page
with a headline punctuated by question mark and two
small reports on the next page.
Obviously the shell shocked votaries of "Konkani
-only in Devanagari script " could apparently not find
words to swallow the humiliation meted out to them by
the CLP 31/07/2006 decision; despite their frontman
and "Man Friday" Mr Uday Laximikant Bhembre Advocate
and ex Independent MLA of Margao heading the "Vichar
Vibhag" viz think thank of the Indian National
Congress Party in Goa.
So today on the second day of that dastardly blow to
their 25 year old chicanery ( resolution for Konkani
only in devanagari script was passed by the Advisory
Board for Konkani on 21/11/1981 by Uday L Bhembre, and
others majority Hindu Brahmins) most of the Hindu
Brahmin community that this writer interacted with
pretended as if they had not seen todays local
dailies. Speak no "evil" ( for them the Romi lipi
means Rome ) -- see no evil hear no evil was their
refrain.
Some of the "Bamonn" Catholic priests and some other
Catholic "Bamonn" lay persons fence sitters under
the guise of "Catholics for Konkani in Devanagari
script" floated by the protoganists of "Konkani only
in Devnagari script" were ready with their --
expected refrain "did we not tell you so?" referring
to the ---proposal of the CLP to grant official status
to Marathi on par with Konkani. "You asked for Romi
lippi -- but you brought official status to Marathi
too they chided"
But they perhaps did not realise their level of
ignorance already they were fooled by some of the
Hindu Brahmins and now they still refuse to come out
from under their tutelage ---used as they are to think
like a frog in the well, for this canard --- cannot be
of any use at this juncture. Listen to why?
a) Goa is no longer an Union Territory as it has
attatined its Statehood . States have been
re-organised since 1956 on linguistic basis. Konkani
was first granted official language status on
04/02/1987 and only then statehood granted on
30/05/1987. There is no way the status of Statehood
can be undone not even considering the fact that it is
smaller than the size of a district in the rest of the
country.
Therefore even the argument that the battle of
September 1985 under the "Konkani Porjecho Avaz" is
lost and the death of seven martyrs and late Floriano
Vaz who was the first martyr from Gogol Fatorda shot
on 20th December, 1986 gone waste is wrong, in view of
what has been stated above.
Therefore the victory for Konkani in Roman script is
ours deservedly. It was won in the face of the worst
adversity and from here on the forces for Konkani in
Roman script should consolidate their energies for the
battle ahead. It is safer that they adopt a wait and
watch attitude as the things unfold.
As regards the grant of Official language status let
it be clear. This writer during his interaction with
the members of the Hindu Bahujan yesterday at Panaji
and today in Ponda mainly Novas Conquistas via
teletalks confirmed that it was NOT their demand for
granting official language status to Marathi.
They admitted that the politicians had indeed created
this hype and therefore the INC plunged to accept it
just to teach these leaders a lesson for whipping up
emotive sentiments on this issue.
Even leaders like Mr Ramakant Khalap ex Union Minister
for Law and Justice a die hard MGP now safely
entrenched in the INC will admit as per his voice of
conscience that granting official status to Marathi
will not be in the best interests of the Hindu Bahujan
Samaj and the migrant Maharashtrians who are domiciled
in Goa.
For this move will open the doors for those frrom
neighbouring states to grab jobs, 15 year domicile
notwithstanding.
Already this is happening and now it will have
statutory sanction after grant of Official language
status to Marathi.
It is therefore for these affected persons to worry on
this issue of official status to Marathi and the
protoganists of Konkani in Roman script can only share
their concern and support them against grant of
official status to Marathi if they so desire.
Even now there could be a demand from this section not
to grant official status to Marathi and leave the G D
& D OLA 1987 untouched on this subject, while they
wholeheartedly support the decision of Konkani in
Roman script as they too felt while the Hindu Brahmin
community and non Hindu Brahmin community benefitted
out of the OLA 1987 by its "sole official language
status" and the other "desirable" status the Catholic
community was given "crumbs or doles" for all their
blood sweat tears and flush funds that they poured
(but were walloped by a section of the Hindu Brahmin
community including Mr Bhembre who demanded and got Rs
1000 for his trips to Panaji from Margao)
Meanwhile there were unconfirmed reports that the "
Vichar Vibhag " of the INC Party in Goa will be
disbanded as its "sole purpose" (retaining Konkani
only in devanagari script) for which it was
constituted and packed with "like minded persons" has
failed miserably to pursue their "hidden agenda".
At least it is now certain though unconfirmed till the
time of writing at this juncture that Mr Uday L
Bhembre has quit the " Vichar Vibhag " before the same
is disbanded. (Remember how the carpet was removed
from under the feet of Mr Chandrakant Keni Chairman
of the now disbanded NRI Facilitation Centre and a new
wing created headed by the ex Union Minister and RS MP
Mr Eduardo Faleiro as Commissioner a Cabinet rank
status?)
There is also a strong feeling that the Goa Konkani
Academy should be disbanded and instead the
Directorate of Official Languages could attend to the
actvities of the Academy.
This would be in order so that funds can be utilised
exclusively for the development and promotion of the
Konkani language etc. instead of turning these
premises where it is located (near the KTC bus
terminus) as " rest room or holiday homes -- the
free lunches at Curcuit House at the cost of the
Academy, travel jaunts on par with Government officers
status to its Executive members and car facilities --
by the "literary pundits"
Even the Government should ensure that the same
authors are not funded yearly from government grants
for publishing books which NO ONE READS OR BUYS. The
Government instead should review its financial grants
policy for books and ensure that only if the product
viz; books published sell a minimum stipulated numbers
the authors of such books alone can apply for grants.
In any case different authors should be given grants
based on a rotation system.
The protoganists of Konkani in Roman script are likely
to hold a meet at Margao at Our Lady of Grace Church
Hall on Monday 7th August, 2006 to decide the future
course of action and to provide clarifications FAQ -
frequently asked questions ---on the script issue.
This open forum will provide an opportunity for all
and sundry.
Incidentally as the battle has reached a sensitive
stage and the victory for votaries of Konkani in Roman
script is at hand, obviously one cannot expect the
votaries of KONKANI ONLY IN DEVANAGARI SCRIPT to take
their defeat in a humiliating manner, it would be
best to excercise restraint when provoked or
instigation. Remember the "rumour mongering, whisper
campaigns and word of mouth canards" familiar acts of
these would be doing the rounds in the coming days.
For any clarifications on the issue this writer could
be contacted round the clock on cell or via email.
from near the Ravindra Bhavan Fatorda,
GODFREY J I GONSALVES
Borda Margao Goa
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
9822158584 (24 hrs)
__________________________________________________________
Yahoo! India Answers: Share what you know. Learn something new
http://in.answers.yahoo.com/
_______________________________________________
Goanet mailing list
Goanet@lists.goanet.org
http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org
