The Global Romi Lipi Abhiyan (GRLA) has announced that it will host an event titled ‘Panchanama’ on August 10 at 4 pm at the Cortalim Church Hall, aiming to counter what it alleges were false and unrelated statements made by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in the Goa Legislative Assembly over the demand to introduce Romi Konknni in schools.
According to GRLA President Kennedy Afonso, the Chief Minister, while replying to a private member’s resolution moved by Aldona MLA Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira, claimed that the National Education Policy (NEP) task force had not recommended teaching Romi Konknni in schools. Ferreira had raised a point of order during the debate, placing on record the NEP task committee’s report which, he said, explicitly recommended that both Devanagri and Romi Konknni be introduced from Class 3.
GRLA stated that Panchanama will present a point-by-point analysis of the CM’s remarks through a power point presentation, to demonstrate to the public that the resolution was rejected not on merit but because the ruling BJP had the numbers to defeat it in the House.
At the event, the organisation will felicitate the seven Opposition MLAs who supported and defended the Romi Konknni resolution on the floor of the Assembly. Former MLAs Adv Radharao Gracias (Nuvem) and Caitano Silva (Benaulim) will also be honoured for having introduced similar private members’ bills in the past.
The group accused the BJP government of trampling on the fundamental rights of minority communities.