TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
PONDA: Devotees are known to seek various favours from Lord Ganesh, but the Marathi Rajya Bhashya Andolan and former chief minister Ravi Naik had unusual petitions before the deity on Monday.
While the Marathi Rajya Bhashya Andolan sought the blessings of Lord Ganesh in its agitation demanding official language status for Marathi, Naik petitioned the deity for resumption in mining activities in the State.
Accusing the State government of deliberately denying official language status to Marathi, members of Marathi Rajya Bhashya Andolan prayed to Lord Ganesh seeking divine intervention at the Shree Zareshwar Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal in the old bus stand, Ponda.
The members led by their Convenor Pradip Ghadi Amonkar offered prayers to Lord Ganesh to seek blessings in their agitation demanding official language status to Marathi. The members also want Marathi to be accorded official language status.
“Marathi is Goa’s cultural language and the State government has done injustice by denying Marathi the official language status. Status of official language for Marathi is the need of the hour and it is the demand of majority of the Goans,” stated Amonkar.
Criticizing the State government, Amonkar said the BJP came to power following the assurance that Marathi will be accorded official language status. “But sadly, nothing has been done, forcing us to agitate. It seems that BJP is least bothered to adhere to its promise, thus denying justice to the State cultural language, Marathi,” he said.
Later in the day, Naik also prayed to Lord Ganesh for a solution to the mining issue, after expressing concern about the uncertainty looming large over resumption of mining activity in the State.
“Today, we are facing various problems. There is rise in crime rate in the State and there is also threat from some religious outfits. The State also faces problem due to suspension in mining activity. I pray to Vighanaharta (remover of obstacles) Lord Ganesha to drive away all the obstacles,” said Naik, after a felicitation programme organized by the Shree Zareshwar Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal. On the occasion, a journalist, Narendra Tari, and a retired electricity department employee, Shivanand Chillapan, were felicitated.
