THE BATTLE FOR OFFICIAL LANGUAGE & STATEHOOD
Reclaiming the Soul of Goa
THE BATTLE FOR OFFICIAL LANGUAGE & STATEHOOD
So after the Liberation of Goa from Portuguese Rule in 1961, and the tumultuous tenure of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party government, where the party tried to divide the people by misrepresenting that the language of Goa was Marathi, and were fixated on merging Goa with Maharashtra; like all proud Goan youth, Luizinho worked as a youth volunteer for the success of the Opinion Poll of 1967, which was granted to Goa by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Determined at improving the self respect and livelihood of Goans, Luizinho was elected for the first time to the Goa, Daman and Diu Legislative Assembly, on a Congress nomination, at a turning point in Goan history, when the people ended the 16 year divisive and corrupt MGP rule. There was a need to redeem Goa from the disastrous policies of the MGP between 1963 and 1979. Would the Congress which was elected with overwhelming majority do it? Luizinho was ecstatic as he made his debut in Goa, Daman and Diu Assembly. As recounted earlier, when Luizinho along with other Congressmen went to pay a courtesy call to Indira Gandhi, she put the poser to him outside her 10 Safdarjung Residence –to first decide the Official Language of Goa, if they wanted Statehood. Hence, Luizinho’s mission was to first put the demand for Official Language status for Konkani, high on the Congress agenda by tabling a Resolution in the Goa Pradesh Congress committee.
The Adil Shah Palace which housed the Goa Assembly from 1964 to February 2000
KONKANI RESOLUTION
Thereafter, even though he was not a Minister, and well knowing the fate of Private Members’ Resolutions, Luizinho Faleiro took the courage to table a Resolution in the Goa Assembly, on March 31, 1982, that urged members to ratify Konkani as the mother tongue of Goans, and declare it as the official language. The Resolution also envisaged the creation of a Konkani Academy to develop the language. This historic resolution was one of the first ever Private Member Resolutions to be passed unanimously by the Goa Daman and Diu Assembly, irrespective of party affiliations of the MLAs.
STATEHOOD RESOLUTION
Buoyed by his success, Luizinho proceeded to consolidate the gains of the Opinion Poll and moved a resolution on January 14, 1983, to urge the Government of India, to grant Statehood to Goa and fulfill the long cherished dream of all Goans. This historic resolution which would allow the State to determine its own destiny, too was passed unanimously by the Goa Daman and Diu Assembly.
Even with people’s expectations running high from the new Government, in its very first term, the first Congress party government was wrecked with dissensions. Understandably, and sadly, the two principal points on the Congress manifesto –the promise of making Konkani the official language and securing Statehood for Goa, remained unfulfilled. To make matters worse, the first tenure of the Congress rule saw a split in the party, with a section led by Dr Wilfred DeSouza breaking away to form the Goa Congress.
Even with people’s expectations running high from the new Government, in its very first term, the first Congress party government was wrecked with dissensions. Understandably, and sadly, the two principal points on the Congress manifesto –the promise of making Konkani the official language and securing Statehood for Goa, remained unfulfilled. To make matters worse, the first tenure of the Congress rule saw a split in the party, with a section led by Dr Wilfred DeSouza breaking away to form the Goa Congress.
FIGHT CONTINUES
Luizinho who thought that the fight for making Konkani the Official Language and securing Statehood for Goa, was genuine, and was not being pursued by the Congress, joined the Goa Congress. In the Goa Assembly Elections of 1984, he was the only MLA of the Goa Congress to be elected (unopposed) to the Goa, Daman and Diu Assembly, from Navelim Constituency. Being in the Opposition, Luizinho faced the difficult task of fighting for meeting the aspirations of the voters and the fight for the twin goals of Konkani and Statehood became even more difficult. It was a relentless fight, now that he was the lone flag-bearer of these causes. But fight he did, as seen from the issues he raised in the Goa Assembly and outside.
The road blocks for grant of Official Language status to Konkani were many: The Congress party feared that once Statehood, based on language was granted, the financial bonanza to the Union territory would stop. If Konkani was declared the official language, a section of the Congress also ‘imagined’ communal unrest. The Central Congress government feared that if Konkani was given official language status, it would open the floodgates for campaigners of Maithili, Bhojpuri and other languages, who would demand inclusion of their language in the Eight Schedule and there would be no end to these demands. Secondly, there was a fear that the demand for Konkani would trigger a demand for Statehood by other regions and this would set off a wave of ‘divisive’ forces in the country.
The road blocks for grant of Official Language status to Konkani were many: The Congress party feared that once Statehood, based on language was granted, the financial bonanza to the Union territory would stop. If Konkani was declared the official language, a section of the Congress also ‘imagined’ communal unrest. The Central Congress government feared that if Konkani was given official language status, it would open the floodgates for campaigners of Maithili, Bhojpuri and other languages, who would demand inclusion of their language in the Eight Schedule and there would be no end to these demands. Secondly, there was a fear that the demand for Konkani would trigger a demand for Statehood by other regions and this would set off a wave of ‘divisive’ forces in the country.
SECOND KONKANI RESOLUTION
Luizinho Faleiro appealed from various fora — the Goa Legislative Assembly, the media, face to face meetings, public platforms– and urged people to make Konkani the official language of Goa. The Goa Congress made this its principal goal. Luizinho tabled another bill –the Goa Daman and Diu Official Language Bill of 19 July 1985. This time the Congress government of Pratapsingh Rane brazenly threw it out. Within 10 days of this event, on July 29, Luizinho, the lone Goa Congress MLA, decided to seek public support and led a movement of Konkani lovers, writers, thinkers, playwrights and actors and courted arrest, in open defiance of the government and his former colleagues. This was followed by the arrest of 3000 writers, poets, dramatists, and intellectuals. It was here that the defining People’s Konkani Movement — the Konkani Porjecho Avaz was born. This movement galvanised the Konkani lovers and in many ways set off a tidal wave that engulfed the state and its politicians, and forced fence-sitting Congress MLAs to take courage and come out and support Konkani as the Official Language.
THE AGITATION FOR KONKANI
Words are sorely inadequate to capture the passion, the rage and the selflessness of the people who stood as a sea of humanity, at the countless public meetings that were organised to rally for the cause of Konkani. The years 1985- 86 saw the biggest agitations Goa had ever seen. The Rane government cracked down on the agitators who were going for the meetings, by impounding buses on the alibi of checking documents. But people were instructed to cycle, walk or do anything and reach the meeting venues. To offset the State repression, which used its police force, the people blocked the roads and dug trenches resulting in lathi-charge and firing tear gas. During these protests, an army of selfless advocates sacrificed their practice and had parked themselves at the residence of Luizinho Faleiro, only to bail out Konkani lovers who were arrested by the Congress government. The movement reached its climax in December 1986 with massive agitations across the state to counter the propaganda of the rival Marathi Rajya Bhasha Prasthapan Samiti led by the MGP. Florian Vaz became the first Konkani Martyr, a victim of police bullets. Subsequently, six others were also martyred. To these and other brave souls, Konkani owes its redemption.
A road leading to Panjim blocked by agitators during the Konkani Agitation 1986
THE TRIUMPH OF KONKANI
Then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi understood the angst of the Goans and conceded to the demand of Official Language Status for Konkani. On the eve of Goa’s Silver Jubilee of Liberation Rajiv sent a emissary to Goa and the House passed the historic Official Language Bill, at the one day session, by 21-8 votes on 4th February 1987, with only the MGP opposing it. Rajiv Gandhi thus fulfilled the promise made by his mother Indira Gandhi to the people of Goa.
To Luizinho’s joy, Rajiv Gandhi called the Goa Congress leaders to Delhi and acknowledged that they were a force to reckon with. He also invited them to join the Congress party, now that Statehood would not be far away.
This historic and exhilarating event, was followed by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi offering Luizinho a full-fledged cabinet post. But Luizinho politely declined and instead chose to work as for the party organisation and accepted the post of General Secretary of GPCC and oversaw the smooth merger of Goa Congress with the Congress party.
To Luizinho’s joy, Rajiv Gandhi called the Goa Congress leaders to Delhi and acknowledged that they were a force to reckon with. He also invited them to join the Congress party, now that Statehood would not be far away.
This historic and exhilarating event, was followed by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi offering Luizinho a full-fledged cabinet post. But Luizinho politely declined and instead chose to work as for the party organisation and accepted the post of General Secretary of GPCC and oversaw the smooth merger of Goa Congress with the Congress party.
STATEHOOD FOR GOA
After the Official Language bill was passed the Congress Government put forth Goa’s case for Statehood, before the Centre. The (Constitution 57th Amendment Bill) Goa Daman and Diu Reorganization Bill 1987 was passed by Parliament and Goa finally became the 25th State of the Indian Union on 30th May 1987, under the Premiership of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Luizinho prides in the fact that, declaration of Konkani as the Mother Tongue and Statehood for Goa which seemed impossible under the MGP rule, were made a reality, through a relentless fight by the people, and of which he was an inseparable part. Thereafter, Goa Congress of which Luizinho Faleiro was the lone MLA, merged into the Congress (I) in 1989 and strengthened and consolidated the Congress (I) which was returned to power in the Goa Assembly elections 1989.
Luizinho prides in the fact that, declaration of Konkani as the Mother Tongue and Statehood for Goa which seemed impossible under the MGP rule, were made a reality, through a relentless fight by the people, and of which he was an inseparable part. Thereafter, Goa Congress of which Luizinho Faleiro was the lone MLA, merged into the Congress (I) in 1989 and strengthened and consolidated the Congress (I) which was returned to power in the Goa Assembly elections 1989.