Will take harsh decision if Marathi doesn’t get official status: MRS

Team Herald

MARGAO: The Marathi Rajbhasha Samiti (MRS) has threatened to take “harsh” decision if the government doesn’t make Marathi an official language of the State. The MRS Salcete block will hold a dharna at the old collectorate, Margao, on December 16 to demand the status for Marathi. 

The Samiti had recently met Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, and it claims that both have agreed to extend their support on the floor of the House to the private member bill of Bicholim MLA Naresh Sawal.

MRS has also hit out at the government for dillydallying on the demands of Marathi proponents to give the language an official status. Clearing their stand, Samiti president Ashok Naik Tuenkar said, “We strongly believe that Marathi has to be an official language of Goa along with Konkani. The BJP government, which had promised to make Marathi an official language within a day, has nearly completed four years in power, but it looks like it has almost forgotten the promises they made in front of the Lord Bodgeshwar in Mapusa.”

MRS member Sitaram Tengse said, “It is a good move by the Bicholim MLA. We met the MLAs of Margao and Fatorda, and they have extended support to the private member bill of Sawal on the floor of the House.”

“The delay has caused lots of loss to the literature and talent that the language could have produced, and now there is hope that the government will satisfy us in the coming Assembly session,” said Tuenkar.

“Our experts are ready to lend help to make the bill, which has to be proper. If it is not properly drafted, then it may go off in the primary stage itself.”