Team Herald
MARGAO: Former Minister Churchill Alemao lent his support to two issues being taken up by the public and Opposition MLAs – equal status for Romi Konkani script and saving Dabolim airport – and expressed hope that the government respects these demands and gives justice to the public.
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Alemao, who was addressing media persons, also recalled his own personal struggles with these two issues.
Recalling that he had even resigned as an MP over the Dabolim Airport issue, a move he described as ‘unprecedented’, Alemao spoke about the numerous meetings he had convened to garner public support to stop the construction of Mopa airport, which he felt would spell doom for the Dabolim Airport, which was then Goa’s sole airport.
Coming to the present scenario, Alemao expressed concern over the dwindling air traffic at Dabolim compared to Mopa airport and echoed the demands made by Opposition MLAs in the House for taking adequate and urgent measures to ensure that Dabolim airport remains viable and does not reach a situation where it is forced to be shut down.
On the issue of Romi Konkani, Alemao termed the present President of the Global Konkani Forum that is leading the fight for Romi Konkani, Kennedy Afonso, as his ‘apprentice’ while referring to their political equation in the past.
He also stressed that he, along with former MLA adv Radharao Gracias, were the first to push for Romi Konkani but were stopped by the other MLAs.
He blamed former MLA Uday Bhembre for pushing for Devnagari script instead of Romi script, to be recognised as the official language. Alemao claimed that this was done to “keep the lower strata of society down” as those MLAs and groups that were opposing equal status to Romi Konkani, were actually afraid of empowering those speaking Romi Konkani.
He added that the situation has changed now and there is no more distinction as such and those who from humble backgrounds have moved leaps and bounds.
Alemao, the former President of Goa Football Association (GFA), also defended his role in promoting Goan football and spoke about the success of the Churchill Brothers football club while responding to criticism levelled against him.
