OFFICIAL STATUS FOR ROMI ECHOES AT GRAM SABHAS

MARGAO
Salcete’s countryside on Sunday reverberated to the cries in support of amendment to the Official Language Act to accord equal status for Konkani in Roman script.

Demand for official recognition for official status for Roman script echoed at Salcete coastal belt, with the gram sabhas of the village panchayats of Varca, Betalbatim, besides Carmona adopting unanimous resolutions in support of the demand to give equal status for Roman script on par with Devanagari script.

That’s not all. The gram sabhas of the village panchayats of Nuvem, Chinchinim, Sarzora and Camurlim too backed the demand for equal status for Konkani in Roman script, taking the numbers of villages from Salcete adopting unanimous resolutions in support of Konkani in Roman script on Sunday to seven. The resolutions have resolved to ask the panchayat bodies to write to the Commissioner, Linguistic Minorities to mete out justice to Konkani in Roman script at the earliest.

Carmona 

Carmona Sarpanch Sandra Fernandes told The Goan that the gram sabha of the panchayat were unanimous in their demand in support of equal status for Konkani in Roman script. She said the panchayat would forward the resolutions to the authorities, including the government for necessary action.

Chinchinim

At the Chinchinim gram sabha, the resolution demanding equal status for Konkani in Roman script was tabled by gram sabha member Cyril Leitao. Sarpanch Valentino Barretto informed that the gram sabha was unanimous in the demand in support of Roman Konkani.

Camurlim

The issue had its echo at the Camurlim gram sabha held on Sunday. Sarpanch Basil Fernandes informed that the gram sabha members unanimously adopted the resolution demanding equal status for Konkani in Roman script.

Meanwhile, president of the Global Konknni Forum, which is spearheading the agitation for equal status for Konkani in Roman script, Kennedy Afonso has said that till date more than 33 village gram sabhas have passed resolutions demanding equal status for Konkani in Roman script and demanded that in a democracy the government must heed the voices of the people.

“Today across Goa, around 18 panchayat gram sabhas have adopted the resolutions demanding equal status for Roman script along with Devanagari with a request to write to the Commissioner of Linguistic Minorities, Delhi and the Chief Minister of Goa to investigate into the matter and give justice to Roman script which has been discriminated for the last 36 years,” Kennedy said.

He said the Chief Minister and the government of Goa must listen to the growing demands of people, which is resounding in the gram sabhas every Sunday, and stop this discrimination to Romi script going on for last 36 years. Global Konkani Forum, also requests the 14 MLAs representing the Linguistic Minorities, and other MLAs to rise up in the Assembly, to fulfill the aspirations of the people, by discussing the matter in the House,” he said.

Voices of people cannot be suppressed: GKF 

MARGAO: Lamenting that the government has disallowed the resolution proposed by MLA Cruz Silva on the July 26, Global Konknni Forum president Kennedy Afonso has said the voices of the people cannot be suppressed. “The Official Language matter will come up on July 30 during demands and grants, and we demand that all the 14 MLAs representing the Linguistic Minorities, to demand with the government, that Roman Script to be made as official script of Konknni along with Devanagari,” Kennedy said, while thanking all the village panchayat gram sabha members for unanimously passing the resolutions in their respective villages.