(From L to R) KBM president Chetan Acharya, Adv Uday Bhembre, Serafin Cota and Sandesh Prabhudessai at the 'Osmitai Dis' meet organised by KBM at Lohia Maidan, Margao on Monday, to commemorate the golden jubilee of the Opinion Poll. Santosh Mirajkar
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Demand to celebrate Opinion Poll Day as 'Osmitai Dis' at govt level
Call to elect people with principles and commitments
THE GOAN NETWORK
MARGAO
Speakers at the meet organised by the Konkani Bhasha Mandal (KBM) to celebrate the golden jubilee of the Opinion Poll day on January 16, at Lohia Maidan, Margao, demanded the celebration of this day as 'Osmitai Dis' officially at government level.
Raising this point while recalling the history of the Opinion Poll held 50 years ago on this day in Goa, Adv Uday Bhembre termed the struggle as a conflict of two schools of thought. Referring to the Opinion Poll as a “referendum” Bhembre told the gathering how the Opinion Poll Act was enacted especially to hold the Poll for Goa, Daman and Diu. “It was a question of Goa's future,” said Bhembre, stating that Goa was never historically or culturally or linguistically a part of Maharashtra.
Bhembre said the Opinion Poll was won with 54 percent of votes cast against merger, of which 35 percent votes comprised of Catholics while the balance comprised of a section of the Hindu society.
“Whatever has happened in Goa, the foundation has been laid by the Opinion Poll. If the Opinion Poll was not won, there would be no Official Language Act and Statehood,” Bhembre remarked, while claiming that there should exist self-respect among a section of the elected representatives in the State for celebrating this day at the official level.
“For this purpose, we have to elect people with principles and entrust power to them. Principles, policy and commitments are important,” said Bhembre.
He felt Osmitai Dis to commemorate the victory of the Opinion Poll must be celebrated by the people regardless of the stand taken by the government vis-a-vis the demand for celebrating the same at the government level.
On the other hand, senior journalist Sandesh Prabhudessai, while terming Opinion Poll as a movement of self-respecting Goans and not language politics, said every party has to include the demand to celebrate Osmitai Dis in their manifestos.
In addition to this, Prabhudessai also demanded chalking out of a master plan by the political parties to include aspects such as the migration of Goans from villages to cities and overseas, the accommodation problems faced by Goans as reflected in the 2011 census and passing of laws framed by the Law Commission for safeguarding Goan land resources as Special Status is not achieveable. These aspects should be included in the master plan, Prabhudessai said and added that these should go hand-in-hand with the demand for celebrating Osmitai Dis at government-level.
“The plan must be for the progress of Goa from the realm of self-respect to independency ,” he remarked. “Hence, there is a need for celebrating Osmitai Dis at the government level so that politicians are made aware of this aspect. We have to start a movement in this regard,” he added.
Earlier, Serafin Cota said Goans learnt two things from the Opinion Poll - retaining Goa's seperate identity and the imbibing of democratic values by the people.
KBM president Chetan Acharya welcomed the gathering while Anant Agni anchored the programme.
