PONDA
TG: Why has the notion of ‘Goemkarponn’ suddenly become a popular slogan? Did it not exist before?
SD: I don’t know. I even don’t know what they mean by ‘Goemkarponn’. I will, however, make one thing clear, the description of ‘Goemkarponn’ is not clear as of now. Hence, we have to first understand what is real ‘Goemkarponn’. The concept of ‘Goemkarponn’ cannot ignore Konkani or Marathi and those non-Goans who have settled in Goa. We will have to take note of all aspects to have a clear picture of ‘Goenkarponn’.
TG: Does the notion of ‘Goemkarponn’ only embrace the Konkani language, as is being projected by your colleague and TCP Vijai Sardessai? Does Marathi not find space in ‘Goemkarponn’?
SD: See, I don’t have any objection to his statement, but Goemkarponn can’t be restricted only to languages. Marathi has a heavy influence on our culture. All our devotional literature from Sanskrit has been translated into Marathi and Hindi, and I believe that they should also be available in Konkani. The culture existing in the Konkan region is also witnessed here. There is no one language that describes ‘Goemkarponn’.
TG: What is your notion about Goemkarponn?
SD: It is very easy to talk about Goem, Goemkar and Goemkarponn. Anybody will utter it easily. But we have to discuss about the era of Kadamba dynasty, Portuguese regime and present era of Goa, which is part of India after liberation. We should consider all these aspects and also should protect the 8.5 lakh ‘Goemkars’ from other states who have settled in Goa,
We should also ponder on whether notion of ‘Goemkarponn’ also includes some aspects of the Portuguese regime.
TG: Your political rival Ravi Naik says that ‘Goemkarponn’ was protected even during the Opinion Poll and there is no need to revive it again. Do you agree?
SD: See, even my family wanted Goa to remain as an independent state and we supported that movement. Few of our (MG Party) leaders felt that if Goa had been merged with Maharashtra, it would have been better. But had Goa merged with Maharashtra, it would have not even got the status of a taluka. I have apologised for the decision of some our leaders to support the merger issue. But let me be very clear that the description of ‘Goenkar’ and ‘Goemkarponn’ is still not clear and it needs clarity.
