FORMER CM DEFENDS GAME PLAN
* According to Ravi Naik, about 2,000 of the 30433-odd voters in Ponda hail from the Kannadiga community
* Printed manifesto in Kannada to make it accessible to those voters well-versed in Kannada, says Ravi Naik
* Quick to defuse any possible controversy, former CM says he has high regards for Konkani language
* Konkani-speaking people can read in English and Marathi. Hence, did not print in Konkani, he says
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MIXED REACTIONS
* A Konkani poet is of the opinion that politicians should not be blamed for ignoring Konkani in their manifestos
* Another Konkani writer questions why should politicians not convey their message in Goa's official language as well
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Contents of a poll manifesto are generally scrutinised by rival politicians and voters alike, but in the case of former chief minister and Ponda's Congress candidate Ravi Naik, it is the language used in his manifesto that has drawn more attention.
Naik has stirred a debate of sorts by excluding the official language, Konkani, and including Kannada as one of the three languages in his manifesto.
Naik's manifesto has been printed in English, Marathi and Kannada, while the notable omission has been the Konkani language.
Naik's move to include Kannada language in his manifesto has been deliberately aimed at wooing the significant Kannada community in his Ponda constituency.
Defending his decision, Ravi Naik told The Goan that about 2,000 of the 30433-odd voters in Ponda constituency hail from the Kannadiga community.
“Kannadiga voters are present all over Ponda constituency. Many of them reside in Deepnagar, Haveli, Nagzari, Shantinagar and also in the hilly areas of Curti and Khadpabandh. I had to print my manifesto in Kannada, so that it could be accessible to those voters well-versed in Kannada and not in other languages,” explained Naik.
Confirming the sizeable number of Kannadiga people in Ponda, a newspaper agent from Ponda city told The Goan that he sells about 250 Kannada newspapers each day.
But Naik's decision to exclude Konkani language from his manifesto has evoked mixed opinion in the city.
While one Konkani poet from Ponda told The Goan that politicians should not be blamed for ignoring Konkani in their political manifestos, another Konkani lover from the outskirts of Ponda insisted that all politicians should have included Konkani language in their manifestos.
“There are Konkani-speaking people in every constituency of Goa. Then, why should politicians not convey their message in Goa's official language as well,” asked the Konkani writer, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Quick to defuse any possible controversy over the omission of Konkani from his manifesto, Naik said he had high regards for the Konkani language.
“But as we all know, Konkani-speaking people can read in English and Marathi. Hence, I did not feel the need to print my manifesto in Konkani as well.”
