TOI

Margao, Sep 4: The Konkani Bhasha Mandal (KBM), a premier institute in Goa working for the propagation of the Konkani language, has threatened to come out on the streets if an attempt is made by the government to effect any changes to the Official Language Act.

KBM leaders said that raking up the issue that was laid to rest over 2 decades ago would only foment trouble in the Goan society and divide the people on communal lines.

Addressing a press conference at Margao on Monday, president of the KBM, Prashant Naik, informed that a resolution to that effect was taken at the executive body meeting of the institute held recently. "The interests of the Marathi language is well safeguarded in the Act. Besides, the number of schemes introduced by the Goa Konkani Academy and Dalgado Konkani Akademi for the promotion of Konkani literature in the Roman script has ensured that no injustice is meted out to Roman script lovers," Prashant Naik said, further charging the politicians of whipping up passions over the language issue for their petty political gains.

"The language issue was duly settled in 1987 following a culmination of a series of meetings at the highest political levels. Raking up the issue after 2 decades will only serve in dividing society on communal lines. We have reasons to believe that this is a systematic ploy by politicians who wish to ride back to power over the language issue. If the situation demands, we won't hesitate to resort to violent means to counter any attempt to change the official language act," Naik charged.

The KBM president further expressed his disapproval over some of the BJP legislators speaking in Marathi in the recently concluded assembly session. "This is nothing but a political gimmick. Do these legislators speak in Marathi while canvassing for votes in Goa?" Naik wondered.

Flaying the government for its failure to implement the Official Language Act as desired, the KBM has placed a set of demands that include making Konkani a compulsory subject for school students upto class ten as well as making it mandatory for private sector companies to reserve jobs for Goans.

Welcoming the government's decision to demand a special status for Goa, the KBM has expressed its willingness to be a part of the delegation that is expected to call on the central leaders to plead the case.

Expressing concern over the influx of migrants in Goa, Naik urged the government to take immediate steps in that direction.