Herald

Margao, Mar 19: Noted tiatrist Wilmix Wilson Mazarello has preferred to opt out of the Tiatr Academy proposed to be set up by the government soon.

“I will not be part of any committee to be set up by the present Congress-led coalition government until and unless the Roman script is given its rightful place in the Official Language Act”, Mazarello said.

Expressing surprise that the Congress-led coalition government is suddenly making overtures to Konkani tiatrists before the Assembly polls, he said “it is a nice thing to have a Tiatr Academy, and added Konkani tiatrists have never asked the government for one.

“What tiatrists have been actually asking all these years is Goa government’s recognition to the Roman script in the Official Language Act. From where did this Tiatr Akademi suddenly spring from?”, he asked and adde, “This is an open bribe by the Goa government to the tiatrists to shut their mouth over the main issue and to win time for themselves till the Assembly polls”.

Mazarello pointed out that none of the present day tiatrists would fall a prey to the trick by the Congress and desert the Goan masses on the issue of Amendment.

On the question of naming the new AC hall at Ravindra bhavan, Fatorda in the name of Pai Tiatrist (late Joao Agostinho Fernandes), Wilmiz said “everyone all along knew that Digambar Kamat was deliberately delaying the announcement till, just before the Assembly polls to derive political mileage for himelf That is understandable, All politicians play this game”.

He, however, said that if Kamat or any of his shrewd colleagues, think that Goan and tiatrists will agree to put the amendment-issue on the back-burner, then they are sadly mistaken, adding “Roman script is a major issue for all Goans in the forthcoming Assembly elections”.