Marathi Rajbhasha Nirdhar Samiti led by former RSS chief/convenor Subhash Velingkar were seen holding a protest on Monday with a large group of hired pro-Marathi supporters by blocking traffic on the old Mandovi bridge for hours since morning to press the Cabinet to give equal official status for Marathi along with Konkani in Goa. Surprising, the cops who otherwise are quick at lathicharge, filing thousands of FIRs on students, lifting/dumping innocent Goans at police stations for alledgedly blocking roads and fighting on real issues were seen standing like mute spectators this time despite the above group totally hijacking/blocking traffic over the old Mandovi bridge the whole morning. Well, the way Subhash Velingkar and his five close members were finally invited by CM Pramod Sawant to meet him to have a small discussion over the same issue in the assembly and the way things finally ended by afternoon, it looks like Monday's whole morning drama was indeed directed, if not orchestrated by the government for its own political gains keeping an eye on the upcoming assembly elections in Goa.
JERRY FERNANDES, Saligao
