PANAJI
The debate over the use of the Roman (Romi) script for Konkani officially is likely to be rekindled with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Velim, Cruz Silva, giving notice to take up a Private Member's Resolution he has moved during the upcoming monsoon session of the Goa Legislative Assembly slated to commence on July 21.
Among the three resolutions Silva proposes to move and has already served the notice to the Speaker's office, is one which seeks that the Roman (Romi) script be introduced as an option for the medium of instruction for Konkani in schools.
In it, Silva cites the rights of linguistic minorities enshrined in the Constitution of India. He also mentions the multilingual approach of the new National Education Policy (NEP) to support the demand for the option of Konkani in the Roman script as a teaching medium in schools.
Silva's resolution also calls for supporting measures, including developing the curriculum, training of teachers and allocation of resources to facilitate the use of Romi Konkani in school education.
A second resolution Silva has moved encompasses yet another controversial conundrum dogging Goa's polity -- land use. It calls on the government to formulate a new Regional Plan for Goa with public participation.
In the resolution, Silva also calls for the freezing of RP-2021, which is currently in force till such time as the new Regional Plan is finalised and notified.
Silva said the resolution is an effort aimed at protecting Goa's scarce and ecologically fragile land resource while ensuring that developmental projects and initiatives are sustainable with a transparent planning process.
The resolutions will in all probability come up in the House on July 25, a Friday, which by convention is reserved for private member's business.
Yet another resolution sponsored by Silva is one which calls for renaming the Lohia Memorial at Assolna in his constituency, such that Dr Juliao Menezes' name also features in the new suggested nomenclature -- Dr Juliao Menezes Memorial Lohia Chowk. An annual State-level event on June 18, which is commemorated as Goa Revolution Day and demands a grant to the Assolna panchayat for the upkeep of the memorial.
