PANAJI
The Covid-19 pandemic may have restricted celebrations, but that has not stopped the Goan communities across the world from reconnecting with Goa at the Virtual Celebration of World Goa Day on October 24, to mark the 20th anniversary of the event.
It was two decades ago, when Rene Barreto (85) attempted to reach out to Goan community associations worldwide by organising the “World Goa Day” (WGD) along with a handful of other passionate Goans on 20 August 2000.
The WGD was instituted to mark the anniversary of that momentous day, August 20, 1992, when the Indian Parliament formally accorded Konkani with the status of a national language in India, through the 71st Amendment to the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
It was a milestone for “Amchi Maim Bhas”, our mother tongue, when Konkani finally got its due recognition nationally, apart from having been Goa’s official state language since January 4, 1987.
The World Goa Day is intended as a day for Goans worldwide to reflect upon their identity and take pride in celebrating their unique heritage and culture, language, traditions, music, cuisine and more. Its primary objective was and is to unite Goans living all over the world, in a day of common union, celebrating their oneness in a show of solidarity with their Goan fraternity in Goa.
The themes during the past three years were, “Ghumott – the Heartbeat of Goans beating aloud Worldwide” (2017), “Amchi Mati Amchi Maim Bhas”(2018) and “Amchi Bhurgim Amcho Fuddar” in 2019.
This year with restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the working group volunteers of the Global Goan Alliance & Network forum, inspired by WGD founder Rene Barreto, have collaborated and engaged with diverse individuals and Goan community associations spanning across the wide range of global time zones, to showcase a Virtual Celebration of World Goa Day during this 20th anniversary year with “Reconnecting Goa” being this year’s common theme.
The event will be broadcast through a “Dawn to Dusk” watch-party on Facebook as well as on YouTube on Saturday, October 24.
Updates on this event will be available on the Global Goan Alliance & Network Facebook Page, Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/Global.Goan.Network) and their YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/channel/UC7VKKs9XeRfCdGwF8ctdW8g).
