Konkani, Goa’s mother tongue

Recently one of our Goan MLAs tabled a bill to make Marathi as an official language of Goa. Corruption number one in India, controversy number one in India. Conspiracy number one too. The election is around the corner. Why don’t we play some politics?

 Konkani was declared the official language of Goa, there is no doubt that it should be the only official language of Goa. The best way of communication is the mother tongue. Go to the fish market you see the fish mongers hawking in Konkani, go to buy your daily groceries in shops and establishment again it is Konkani.

In ever Goan family people speak Konkani, the children communicate better, on the sports pitches etc its all Konkani. Of course according to Indian Constitution every person has the right to express in the language he knows best.

The question is why another official language. If you look at the changes happening in Goa, we have economic migrants coming from Karnataka, Kerala etc they too have a sizeable population in Goa. As citizens of Goa these languages should be official language too. Why not, it is a good way of communication with children and family. But these migrants speak better Konkani than the actual Goans in Goa.

The Konkani language becomes the integration of all Goan communities to make another language as the official language is a murder of this integration. Goans should be proud to speak Konkani, the language that brings identity to Goa.

If you look at the logistics in heaving another language as official language than not only Marathi, Kannada and Malayalam should also be the official language of Goa too. The fun starts than, the establishments will have their food names in Konkani, Marathi. The law books will have to be re-written in all languages. The ministers and MLAs name plates will have to be in both languages. The road signs will look colorful, the bus, trains stations, bus stands will be with different languages. To add insult to injury you will have to use English because of tourists and Hindi because it is the national language. Goa will be colourful.