Report by Special Correspondent Ares
Pics: Rons Bantwal
for Daijiworld Media Network - Kochi (GA)
Kochi, Feb 2: Member of Parliament(Rajya Sabha) and President of the Konkani Parishad Shantaram L Naik has said that language is an important tool of developement and all the state Governments have to accept this fact.
Naik was speaking after inaugurating the 26th session of the three-day All India Konkani Parishad at Prof R K Rao Nagar(Nehru Memorial Town Hall) Ernakulam Kochi on Friday February 1.
The session is organised by the Kerala Konkani Akademi, Kochi.
Naik further said that developement of language is like any other infrastructure development. He said the central government provides thousands of rupees towards education budget every year. He added that if atleast 10 per cent of this budged is diverted towards the developemnt of local languages the scene would have been changed and cultural development would have taken side-by-side. There are 22 Indian languages in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution which requires further boost and support. He asked the central government to assist the states to build bhavans of all these recognised languages.
The member of parliament further said that he was the first MP to speak inthe Lok Sabha in Konkani language in 1989. Simalarly he was the first in the Rajya Sabha to speak in Konkani on March 9, 2006. Naik said, there are no trasnlators for some languages including Konkani in the Parliament and felt that this shortcommings shoud be dealt with immediately. K K Pai of the TMA Pai foundaiton, outgoing presidet of the parishad Paul Moraes also spoke on the occasion.
The Sahitya Akademi award winners and other recipents of awards were honoured on the occasion. Also new books were published.
Earlier the programme began with Godde Ramayan organized by Vaniya Samajsamskriti Mandal, Kochi.
TMV Shenoy welcomed while Gokuldas Prabhu proposed a vote of thanks.
The three-day session will have poets meet, symopsiums, cutural programmes and others.