By Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Feb 19: Goa government will set up a memorial of great Buddhist scholar and linguist of Pale Dharmanand Kosambi at Seva Gram in Vardha, if land is provided, announced Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, after inaugurating seven-day Goa Mahotsav in Nagpur today evening.
Vardha is hardly 75 kms away from Nagpur. He said Goans are attached to Nagpur and Vardha because a great Goan like Dharmanand Kosambi breathed his last at Seva Gram in Vardha.
The Chief Minister appreciated the efforts of people of Nagpur and especially Mr Laxman Joshi to be the first region from Maharashtra to celebrate Golden Jubilee of Goan Liberation. It would be followed in Mumbai, Pune and other parts of Maharashtra, he announced.
‘Goa First’ is the motive of the Goa Development Council, headed by eminent scientist of Goan origin Dr Raghunath Mashelkar. It does not matter who would be the chief minister tomorrow but how prosperous Goa should be for the next 25 years would be aim of this council while chalking out the roadmap for Goa, said Mr Kamat.
While stating that Goa’s communal harmony is maintained by the people and people alone, Mr Kamat felt that centre should financially help such a Model State, which has no history of communal riots or Naxalism but one of the best performance index in terms of population, health or education.
Mr Kamat recalled the revolutionary fervour lit by Ram Manohar Lohia on 18th June 1946 as well as India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for sending Indian Army to liberate Goa on 19th December 1961.
He also thanked former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for deciding to hold Opinion Poll in Goa, to allow Goans to decide whether they want Goa’s merger with Maharashtra. Among many scholars from Maharashtra, Mr Kamat said it was Bapuji Ane from Vidarbha, who had opposed the merger.
Mr Dattabhau Meghe, Congress MP who presided over the function, said it was good that Goa was not merged into Maharashtra. He also recalled that several freedom fighters had participated from Vidarbha in the Satyagraha held in Goa during its liberation struggle.
Mr Meghe also lauded the chief minister Mr Kamat for efficiently running a small state of Goa and maintaining communal harmony, which the whole country is proud of. He also echoed their long pending demand of separate Vidarbha state. “Our culture is different from Maharashtra”, he said.
The seven-day Goa Mahotsav is jointly organised by Maharashtra Rashtrabhasha Sabha from Nagpur and Goa’s Directorate of Art & Culture. Besides dramas and folk dances from Goa and Nagpur, it would also have a Poets Meet as well as seminars on Journalism, Folk Culture, Theatre and Changing Goa.
Mr Anil Deshmukh, Food and Civil Supplies Minister of Maharashtra and local MLA, emphasised upon strengthening cultural ties between Nagpur and Goa.
Girish Gandhi, chairman of the organising committee, demanded that a special train from Nagpur to Goa be started to strengthen the ties.
Laxman Joshi, Editor of Lokshahi Varta from Nagpur and former editor of Gomantak and Goa Doot, welcomed the gathering. Director of Art & Culture Mr Prasad Lolayekar and Vishnu Surya Wagh also spoke. Mr Asha Kamat also graced the occasion.
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat was felicitated on the occasion at the hands of local MP Dattabhau Meghe. Later, Mr Kamat released a special book published by the Goa Mahtotsav Samiti on Goa.
Over 200 artists, writers, journalists and social activists will participate in the six-day Goa Mahotsav, which began in Nagpur today.