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Tuesday, August 08, 2006

GPCC favours maintaining status quo on language issue

The large majority of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee which met here today favoured that party should maintain status quo on the language issue even as its president, Mr Ravi Naik told reporters that his party would resolve the issue to the satisfaction of the people of the state ahead of forthcoming general elections to the state assembly.

Addressing an impromptu press conference soon after the GPCC meeting, Mr Naik said that some people have made the mess and an unnecessary problem has been created but hastened to add that his party would solve the issue once for all.

He said that his party members expressed their views on the language issue at today’s meeting and that no decision had been taken by it on the issue of granting official language status to both Konkani in Roman script and Marathi.

The GPCC president further said that the party would elicit opinion of the party workers at different levels before taking a decision on the vexed issue. He refused to give his personal comments on the issue saying that he would go with the collective decision of the party.

Mr Naik also said that he would be leaving for New Delhi on August 9, soon after observing the anniversary of the Quit India Movement, to meet the party’s central leaders and apprise them of the situation in the state vis-a-vis the language issue.

He said that the Chief Minister, Mr Pratapsingh Rane, would also accompany him and that they would jointly call on the All India Congress Committee general secretary, Ms Margaret Alva, AICC president, Ms Sonia Gandhi, and political advisor to Ms Gandhi, Mr Ahmed Patel.

Meanwhile, sources in the party said that there was total unanimity in the GPCC meeting on maintaining status quo on the language issue, with many members expressing views that Konkani in Roman script should not be neglected and that awards should be given to books written in script and that more funds should be allotted for the development of language in that script.

Members also felt that the Official Language Act should not be amended, said that sources adding that issue should not be allowed to linger on. They also wanted the party to take them into confidence before a decision on the issue was taken in the Congress Legislature Party.

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