Team Herald
MARGAO: The Global Romi Lipi Abhiyan (GRLA) has strongly opposed Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s announcement making Konkani mandatory for government jobs, alleging that the policy unfairly discriminates against thousands of citizens who use the Roman script.
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At a function on Tuesday, Sawant stated that the decision was made to protect the interests of locals, clarifying that it does not mean injustice to Marathi speakers. However, GRLA contends that limiting Konkani to the Devanagari script in recruitment exams effectively excludes a large section of Goans who have traditionally used the Roman script in education and daily life.
GRLA President Kennedy Afonso, argued that the government should have ensured question papers were available in both Devanagari and Roman scripts. He pointed out that while the chief minister has expressed concern about Marathi writers, there has been no acknowledgment of the decades-long demand for justice for Roman-script Konkani users.
GRLA highlighted the recent Goa Staff Selection Commission examination, where a significant number of minority applicants reportedly failed the Konkani paper set in Devanagari, with many receiving zero marks. “This means that government jobs will overwhelmingly go to the majority community, creating an unfair advantage and institutionalising discrimination,” Afonso stated.
GRLA warned that such exclusionary measures are forcing more Goan youth to seek employment overseas.
The organisation also accused BJP legislators from the minority community of betraying their voters by remaining silent on the issue.
“They use minority votes to gain power but fail to raise their voices against such unjust policies,” the GRLA president said. “This is precisely why the Official Language Act must be amended to include Roman script alongside Devnagari,” Afonso emphasized, stating that allowing candidates to write in their preferred script would ensure equal opportunity for all communities in Goa.
