MARGAO
The Global Romi Lipi Abhiyan (GRLA) has opposed Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s reported move to make the Konkani test paper compulsory only in the Devanagari script for government jobs. GRLA Convenor Kennedy Afonso said this would disadvantage many minority community candidates who are more familiar with writing Konkani in the Roman script.
He said the move would give an upper hand to those comfortable in Devanagari, affecting fair competition. “We support making Konkani compulsory, but the test must be offered in both Devanagari and Roman scripts so that candidates can choose,” Afonso said.
Afonso pointed out that in earlier examinations, many minority candidates failed the Konkani paper when it was only in Devanagari, affecting their job prospects. He also referred to a recent exam for English teachers, where minority candidates reportedly failed for the same reason. GRLA has demanded that a Minority Commission be set up in Goa to address such issues.
