THE GOAN NETWORK
CANACONA
Stating that Catholics and Muslims have their own vote banks, Marathi protagonist Subhash Velinkar said a vote bank of Marathi lovers would be created in the same way, to force the government to bow down to the major force and give official status to Marathi language as the State language.
Velingkar also informed that in the next few months, a public meeting of 50,000 Marathi lovers would be held in Panaji to pursue this cause.
“Before that, we will hold meetings in every village. We will include Ganeshotsav Mandals, Shivjayanti Utsav Mandals, theatre organisations, bhajani mandals, women's mandals, etc.,” said Velingkar.
Velingkar, who is convenor of the Marathi Official Language Determination Committee, was speaking at the Canacona Block meeting of Marathi lovers in the Nirakar Devalaya, Bhagatwada.
Speaking further, Velingkar said youth will be trained to promote Marathi, and that only those who work for Marathi as the official language and take an oath for Marathi will be given votes.
Velingkar also claimed that the government is also planning to close-down 50 Marathi schools. “Closing Marathi schools means the destruction of nationalism. Till now it was said that Marathi was given equal status, but that was a deception of Marathi lovers. From now on, actual awareness regarding Marathi will be created in every municipality and 182 panchayats.
The Committee President G. R. Dhavalikar claimed that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and the Congress Party had supported the Konkaniwadis.
“Our language is Marathi and Konkani is just a dialect, but this dialect was given the status of a State language,’ said Dhavalikar.
The Committee member Shantaji Naik Gaunkar said those who grew up in the Marathi language are the ones opposing Marathi today.
“Canacona residents have a big participation and a role to play in making Marathi the official language,” he said.
Shri Mallikarjun Devalaya President Rajendra Desai, Shravani Pednekar, Isha Pramod Desai, Shubhalakshmi Naik Gaonkar, Apeksha Belunkar, Santoshi Angadikar, Mayur Kankonkar also expressed their views on Marathi.
South Goa Bajrang Dal Vice President Suhas Naik, Canacona Councillors Neetu Desai, Hemant Naik Gaonkar, Hindavi Committee President Dilkhush Shet, Sunil Paingankar, and block convener Samrat Bhagat were present on the platform.
