Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai while unveiling the plaque to rename the MES College in the presence of Paresh Joshi, Chairman M S Kamat and note author Damodar Mauzo.
Photo Credits: Vikram Nayak
VASCO
Goa Governor PS Shreedharan Pillai on Thursday said educational institutions must protect the interest of the local people, adding that the local language should be given maximum importance.
Pillai was addressing a large gathering as the chief guest for the function to launch a book ‘The Tale of Successful Journey’, a book authored by Murgaon Education Society (MES) College Chairman MS Kamat, at a function organised in the MES College campus on Thursday afternoon.
The Governor also unveiled the plaque of renaming the college as MES Vasant Joshi college of Arts and Commerce.
“The MES College is now being renamed with the name of the person who gave everything for this institution which has been imparting education for over 50 years and this institution will now on be declared as MES Vasant Joshi College of Arts and Commerce.”
“Many students have gone to great heights and worked for the service of people while many persons are on the way towards great achievements, making it one of the best institutions of Goa,” said Pillai.
“As chancellor of Goa University, I feel that institutions must protect the interest of local people and the local language should be given maximum importance. In 1956, there was an amendment to the Constitution where an additional provision of 354A was added which stipulates that India should give maximum importance and priority to the mother tongue.”
Pillai said it was time to take steps to strengthen the Konkani Language which is being spoken in other states, besides Goa.
“As far as Konkani Language is concerned, I found that my native state in Kerala has more than 1.5 lakh people who have Konkani as their mother tongue and they speak Konkani in their homes. I also realised that Karnataka and parts of Maharashtra also has lakhs of people speaking Konkani as their mother tongue,” said Pillai.
“There is wider acceptance of Konkani in more than three to four states, but Konkani Language is not getting its much-deserved share in the language arena. I asked other universities to start promoting Konkani Language in Mangalore and Kochi and I am happy to say that Konkani institutes will start in Mangalore and Kochi,” said Pillai.
