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PANJIM: As the Lok Sabha polls near, the Marathi Rajbhasha Andolan and BJP MLA Vishnu Wagh Tuesday coincidently demanded that Marathi be made the official language of the State.
The Andolan wanted the government to introduce a new language bill declaring Marathi as official language in the coming session of the assembly, while Wagh announced that he would introduce a bill to amend the Official Language Act granting official status to Marathi on par with Konkani in the forthcoming Assembly Budget session beginning March 3, while speaking to media on the sidelines of state’s first official language convention.
Wagh has also demand proper data on the Official Language Act, to ascertain the use of the Act or Konkani language in government functioning and in educational institutes and to verify whether Konkani, as official language has been used widely in government administration.
“This data will give a clear picture as to how many government notifications or orders are issued in Konkani and how many Konkani schools have been introduced since 1987. The failure will force government to make necessary amendment to the Act,” Wagh claimed. Criticizing the Official Language Act, he argued that it is high time we make necessary amendment to the same, thereby declaring both Marathi and Konkani as state official languages.
Wagh, who is chairman of Kala Academy, extended his support to the Marathi proponents claiming that Marathi language is been used widely in literature, culture, government functioning, etc.
Meanwhile, the proponents of Marathi language under the banner ‘Marathi Rajbhasha Andolan’ held a protest outside the Gomantak Maratha Samaj premises, were the Rajbhash convention, organized by Directorate of Official language was underway. The convention was inaugurated by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, where Wagh, Ramakant Khalap and Narendra Sawaikar were also present.
The Marathi supporters held a dharna with black flags, sloganeering against the chief minister and the BJP government and warned that they would work against BJP-MGP government in the forthcoming Lok Sabha Polls 2014.
Marathi Rajbhasha Andolan convenor Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar said that government should introduce a new language Bill, declaring Marathi as official language in the coming session of the assembly. They also castigated the government by calling the medium of instruction (MoI) policy faulty and a carbon copy of his predecessors (Congress).
The agitators are to hold a day long dharna in Panjim on February 7 protesting against what they called government’s anti-people and anti-language polices.
