PANJIM: Marathi protagonists have threatened to work against the BJP and ensure its defeat in the upcoming Assembly polls if it fails to grant official language status to Marathi.
The threat was made during a Marathi lovers’ convention held in Panjim on Sunday and attended by nearly 1,000 people from across the State. Except for Bicholim MLA Naresh Sawal, who has moved a private members bill in the Assembly to give official status to Marathi, no other MLA was present.
Almost all speakers threatened the BJP with severe consequences if it failed to meet their demand. Meanwhile, Sawal called the BJP a “fraud party” and urged the gathering not to trust it.
“Hope my bill comes up in the Assembly. Everything will be open, everybody will be exposed. Goans will get to know who is supporting Marathi and who is not,” said Sawal.
G R Dhawlikar, president of the Marathi Rajbhasha Samiti (MRS), said that as per official figures, only 4,000 students are learning through Konkani as compared to 32,000 in Marathi. He added that Marathi lovers are not against Konkani, and not asking for the removal of its status as an official language, but they are demanding the same status for Marathi.
Marathi-lover Shanudas Sawant criticised the BJP government for its U-turn on the pre-poll promise, which then Opposition Leader Manohar Parrikar had made to MRS; Parrikar had allegedly stated that after getting elected, official status would be given to Marathi within three months.
Addressing the gathering, Diwakar Dichoilkar and Diwakar Shinhkre claimed that even during the Portuguese regime, official status had been given to Marathi. They also criticized the State government for the injustice towards Marathi and its proponents.
“The Portuguese not destroyed Marathi and its culture; they have not closed Marathi schools. This government is trying to do what even the Portuguese had never done,” said Shinkhre.
