False hopes
The pro-Marathi elements are trying to kill two birds with one stone, by using the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch as a platform to revive its demand to make Marathi an official language of Goa. They are not satisfied that it is an associate language that can be used for official purposes.
What they appear to be ignorant of is that following the reorganisation of states on linguistic basis, Marathi speaking areas were delinked from the erstwhile bilingual Bombay state and Maharasthra was born with Marathi as its sole official language. Similarly, the other part largely Gujarati speaking became Gujarat with that language as its official language.
There is no provision to have two official languages in state. Even Maharasthra, Karnataka, Andhra and Tamil Nadu have a single official language even though there are millions who speak other languages within those states. It is preposterous on the part of Marathi language protagonists to demand official language status in Goa, where the majority speak Konkani.
Perhaps, these die hard Marathi elements have not reconciled to the Goan people's verdict nearly fifty years ago to remain separate. Out of that verdict, Goa finally became a full-fledged state of the Indian Union with Konkani as its official language. And it will remain so as long as India continues to be a union of states on linguistic basis.
Alzira Colaco, Nuvem
GHRC appointment
The Goa Government must take immediate steps in expediting the process of selecting the next Chairman and members of the Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) as the term of the current Commission headed by Justice P.K Misra is scheduled to end on March 3.
There should be no attempt to keep the Goa Human Rights Commission dysfunctional. With the increasing number of human right violations being witnessed there would be an undesirable vacuum without the GHRC in place. Section 27 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 mandates that the investigative wing of the Commission should be headed by an officer not below the rank of IGP. The government is yet to comply with this requirement of law.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
Goans are increasingly opposing Land Sales to Non-Goans. Yes, Goans can buy land in many Indian states. But let’s look at this in a clearer perspective. Each community has limits to which non-locals can buy land and time frame to get political rights. Goa has crossed this limit; beyond which we have to put safeguards; the current superfast rate of land sales and uncontrolled migration will make Goans irrelevant and no community can accept the same for themselves.
For those quoting the constitution: (a) Goa had no influence in framing the constitution i.e. India took over Goa much later in 1961, (b) Some states have special provisions; Goa is also an exception; just because we “failed” to get safeguards in 1961, does not right the wrong and (c) The Constitution is not cast in stone and for just basis, should be modified to protect the people; from which a democratic constitution should have been driven; not vice-versa.
Goans should support other communities/states right to their unique identity/interests, likewise please they also should respect our right to the same.
Arwin Mesquita, Colva
