Convener of Konkani Lok Shakti, Damodar Ghanekar has demanded the immediate ouster of Sanjay Harmalkar as president of Institute Menezes Braganza, saying he is unfit to hold this state-run post.
“Harmalkar is ignorant and irresponsible and has questioned the policy of the government of making Konkani the Official Language of Goa and the medium of instruction in government aided schools and colleges. Harmalkar, reportedly in a public speech, condemned Konkani as a language without culture, without any richness and advised parents not to send their children to study in Konkani language,” stated Damodar Ghanekar in a statement issued on Friday.
Ghanekar further demanded that government should appoint a highly educated, responsible and respected person as the president of this very old and hallowed institution and not allow it to be sullied further by persons like Harmalkar.
The Konkani Lok Shakti has congratulated Konkani Bhasha Mandal, other institutions and students of the Konkani Department of Goa University for staging a protest against Harmalkar’s remarks.
Ghanekar further appealed to all self-respecting Goans and their institutions to condemn Harmalkar’s statement and seek his ouster from IMB.
The Konkani Lok Shakti welcomed the reported statement of the Chief Minister saying that, “Harmalkar, if he has made such a statement, should not have done it,” and demanded that the CM take immediate follow-up action for Harmalkar's ouster.
