Give equal status to Roman script
The Global Konknni Forum along with a few Romi-Konkani supporters held a symbolic protest at Azad Maidan on February 4 (coinciding with the State’s Official Language Day) to reaffirm with their demand for an amendment to the Official Language Act of 1987 and to grant equal status to the Roman script.
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Well, it should be noted that despite the Catholic community of being in the forefront and nowhere of anything being said nor discussed about any script during the entire Konkani movement, the controversial Goa Official Language Act was passed on February 4, 1987, making Konkani in Devanagari script the Official Language of Goa, with Marathi designated for all official purposes thereby openly backstabbing and humiliating the above community in the state.
Well, being a proud Konkani-speaking Goan, I therefore do believe that until and unless the above blunder (which has persisted for almost 38 years and has practically divided our Konkani speaking population along script lines in the State) is not rectified and Roman script is not given its rightful place in the Official Language Act to give justice for the Catholic community (which ultimately still goes to use only Roman and not Devanagari script in their day to day affairs even to this day i.e. in their church services, all correspondence, whilst reading newspapers, using computers, sending WhatsApp/Instagram messages from their mobiles etc), Konkani will continue to suffer and there are chances that this language (which unfortunately is already in the ICU today) might even go to die a slow death due to the stubbornness/selfishness of the Devanagari-script lobby in particular & that will be curtains down for our unique Goan identity sooner or later.
The government should therefore come in its senses, bring an amendment (I doubt that it will ever due to its own political compulsions) to the Official Language Act and grant equal status to Roman Konkani to bring unity amongst the Konkani speaking population in the State to save Konkani & to safeguard our unique Goan identity for the betterment of our future generations in Goa. Save Konkani to safeguard our Goenkarponn. Viva Goa, viva Goenkar.
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
Animal attacks
on the rise
Bison have reportedly been found wandering on the streets in different parts of Ponda taluka, causing alarm among the residents in the area. The other day a scooter rider and a pillion rider were injured in Usgao when their scooter rammed into a bison.
Three months ago, a bison attacked a woman at Bethora and the injured woman died the next day while undergoing treatment in the hospital. Leopards are also seen in the villages, especially attacking dogs and other domesticated animals. A leopard was reportedly sighted in the courtyard of a house in Canacona, causing panic among residents in the area. The area is located close to the road leading to the Palolem beach where domestic and foreign tourists move around at night. Recently, a woman was injured after she was attacked by a wild boar in a field at Poinguinim. It must be said just like stray cattle roaming on the roads have become a menace to motorists and people are being attacked by stray dogs on the beaches, wild animals have now become a threat to human life in the villages.
It does not take rocket science to find the reason for the frequent incidents of wild animals straying into human habitat. Human beings, out of greed, have displaced the wildlife from their natural habitat by carrying out large scale deforestation for real estate development. Left with no option, these wild animals enter the villages looking for prey.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
