Panaji: Politics Mars Appointment of Konkani Academy President?

Sanjay Borkar
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Apr 18: By ousting Dilip Borkar, editor of 'Bimb' magazine, from the post of president of Goa Konkani Academy, the BJP government which has appointed Pundalik Naik to the post, has given a chance for some to say ‘politics has entered the Academy’.

Dilip Borkar who was appointed on the eve of issue of code of conduct for March 3 assembly elections, was ousted on April 16. Pundalik Naik was appointed in his place.

Dilip Borkar, Pundalik Naik

Borkar who was just three months on the chair of president said that he had many plans to take Konkani to the greater heights and lamented that politics had entered in the Konkani Academy, which was harmful to the process of development of mother tongue.

"BJP has always put rift in the Konkani movement. In its last term there was a script issue and now by ousting me they have insulted writers. This is very a bad practice they have opted for their interest," said Borkar.

Dilip Borkar further said that he had a dream to amass all the Konkani people, irrespective of ‘scripts’, so that Konkani grows by leaps and bounds. He said he was supposed to hold programmes in all the taluks of Goa to make people aware of their mother tongue. "But the BJP government has put rift not only to my dream but also to the movement of Konkani," he said.

"Erstwhile chief minister Digamber Kamat had appointed me to president's post, as he had faith in me that I could handle the language issue pertaining to 'medium of instruction' very carefully. My appointment was not political, but Pundalik Naik’s appointment is politically motivated and every Konkani speaker knows it," said Borkar while wishing Naik all the very best to carry forward the flag of Konkani.

"I don’t feel bad that I have been ousted, my motto is to serve and contribute to Konkani, which I do through my magazine ‘Bimb’," Borkar said further.

Pundalik Naik, the newly appointed president, who was president twice (6 years) and twice a vice-president ruled out all the allegations leveled against him pertaining to his appointment. He clarified that his appointment was not political but it was trust shown by chief minister Manohar Parrikar on him and that it is part of the chief minister's exercise to bring in change of guard in all the departments where there's been corruption.

When questioned whether he knew of any instance of corruption in Konkani Academy, he did not comment, but said that Borkar should have tendered his resignation on moral grounds before being ousted.

"BJP had supported ‘Bhartiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch’ over the medium of instruction issue. Thus we had attachment with them and now as they are in power Manohar Parrikar felt that I should bring about a change in Goa Konkani Academy, and hence I was appointed to the post," Naik said further.

Naik leveled allegations against Dilip Borkar saying he had penned several articles against Parrikar, when he was very close to then chief minister Digamber Kamat.

"I was not in the fray for the president's post. It was bestowed on me for the betterment of Konkani. The government of Goa and people have shown their trust on me and to keep it, I will try to get the Rs 1 crore announced by the government to build Konkani Bhavan and I will make it a reality during my tenure," Naik said.

When asked whether the issue of president's post had thrown bad light on Konkani language, Naik said that it had not, and that he had received several phone calls from those who were concerned about Konkani saying they were happy about his appointment.