TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday refused to do a “rethink” on the Official Language Act, 1987, under which Konkani in Devanagri script has been recognized as the official language of Goa.
Chief Minister categorically clarified that there is no chance of granting recognition to Marathi and Romi Konknni as the States official languages.
“Demands are always there from sections of society, but the Official Language Act is already in existence. So the issue is over for me,” Parrikar told reporters on the sidelines of the swearing in ceremony of Chief Information Commission (CIC) at Raj Bhavan, Wednesday morning.
“There is no point of rethinking. I will go as per the existing laws,” he said reacting to the current language controversy, which sparked off due to opposition to Kala Academy’s award to literature in Romi Konknni by Devanagri proponents.
Parrikar, however, ruled out that the move is ‘politically motivated’. “Our priority should be improving state finances after mining closure and maximum employment generation,” he added.
Chief Minister’s statement comes as a major setback to the Romi Konknni and Marathi language protagonists in the State, who demanded official status to Marathi and Konkani in Roman script.
Marathi Rajbhasha Andolan (MRA) and Romi Konknni Andolon (RKA) have come together. This comes as a latest development, as MRA since last eight months had been campaigning for Marathi as official language.
The two groups have demanded that the State government pass an (amendment to) language bill in the next Assembly session to settle the official language issue once and for all before the next parliamentary polls.
MRA and RKA have threatened to agitate throughout Goa having unprecedented political implications both for the parliamentary election and next Goa assembly election.
