THE HEROES OF KONKANI – GOA HITRAKHAN MANCH By Menino Fernandes

The Goa Hitrakhan Manch, specially Mr. Prashant Naik are the pillars of today’s Konkani movement of Goa. They stand for what they believe and have selflessly dedicated themselves to the cause of our mother tongue KONKANI.

Many Goans have differed on their stand on Konkani. Some have stood for it for personal gains. But Pranshant and his group have stood firmly for the mother tongue without any thoughts of personal gains. They have believed that it is only through our mother tongue are we known as Goans. They have believed that only Konkani can get the status of state of Goa. They have firmly believed that Konkani is the official language of the state. They have believed that it is Konkani that will keep the Goans as Goans. They have believed that no other state language should be forced upon the Goans as a pretext to merge Goa into other states.

There are lot of Goans who do not know a word of Marathi and yet opt for marathi to be the official language of Goa. I have met some of this type of people in Goa many times. There was a time when I had gone to a bank and a man approached me with a marathi document, since he knew me and that I speak and read marathi fluently, requested me to translate the document. This is the very man, who during the language agitation in Goa was fighting for Marathi.

Rather than going into more details, below are the excerpts from the internet taken down as is of the interview with Prashant Naik. These excerpts are as they appeared on the internet without a word changed from them:

EXCERPTS:

I am a non-practicing Hindu, we have here with us a practicing Catholic, but though the religion is different, concerning our way of living and our way of thinking, it is the same. This we have inherited from our forefathers. This is the identity or culture of Goa.

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Then the Court of Inquisition was established in India, which existed for centuries already in Europe. But today it is very wrongly seen as an institution for the trial of Hindus.

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Somewhere in the late 17th century the Church started to translated the Gospel and Bible and other religious writings into Konkani. Until then they had destroyed a lot of Konkani literature.

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there was always a suspicion in the mind of the Hindu people as far as the role of the Church is concerned. That suspicion is still there today. So what we found today is that the Marathi lobby, which appeared after Liberation, started to say that Konkani is Cristao or upper cast.

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Scientifically projecting the growth of Goans we would have been something like 10 lakhs. Our population today is 14 lakhs. So from where have come these 4 lakhs of people? Naturally from outside Goa.

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But there is one big danger. In Goa Goans should be given an opportunity first and not only after non-Goans.

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Opportunities in Goa were so scarce in the past that people were forced to migrate. You give them proper opportunities and they will not go. The question is that there is underemployment. You are paid less than what you deserve. It is also a question of human dignity.

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We stayed back in Goa as an option. The roads are dusty, the telephones do not work properly, to get cooking gas you have to stand in a queue, agreed. But then this is of our making. You get the system you deserve.

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The sorry state is that people migrate to Canada and then they question on Internet on what is happening in Goa. But they have migrated and opted out, for another nationality and then they are questioning someone who has opted to remain and is fighting over here.

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You find people, college students, still speaking in Konkani mainly in parts of Pernem, Valpoi, Bicholim, Sanguem, Quepem and Canacona. Mainly people in the Old Conquests opt for English.

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Though I am an office bearer and general secretary of the party, principally you can call me an activist with the GHM which is paying much more service to the people of Goa and Goans than my party.

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I feel that GHM should grow as Assam Gana Sangram Parishad grew. And the ll Assam Students Union Group. That is the way it should go.

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No matter who rules we will continue fighting for the betterment of Goa and Goans. BJP Government also has been in resistance like the Congress was.

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But I want to make one point clear. We are not fanatics. GHM major slogan is Goans First. Not Goa for Goans.

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Being arrested, fighting for Goa and Goans is our option, we survive on this. At times we have remained hungry for days together.

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Why dont you contribute to this fight in a way you can? Speaking over there in Konkani. Dont give us money, start speaking in Konkani.

Today I am proud that we have such Goans who dedicate themselves to the cause of our mother tongue and our beloved Goa. That is the exact reason why I have made sure that my sons talk fluent Konkani and use it in their everyday life. Though they were born outside India, I was strict at home to ensure that we the parents spoke only Konkani to my kids. Today my kids read, write and speak fluent Konkani both in Roman and Devnagiri script.

Once again I say and pray that this GHM movement may grow and grow into a huge tree with a request to all the Goan youth to join this movement and keep the lamp of Konkani burning now and forever generation after generation.