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MARATHI DOMINATION!
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MARATHI DOMINATION!

Aug 16- Aug 22, 2025, Cover Story August 15, 2025 , by

MARATHI maushi still dominates the mindset of the ruling class in Goa. Before and after statehood it was Pratapsingh Raoji Rane who promoted Marathi as the language of religion and culture in Goa. Though Konkani was made the official language of the state through the official language bill, Marathi was given equal official language status. Indeed, the hold of Marathi culture over Goa was strengthened by Konkani in the Devanagiri script being made the official language.
 Significantly, the only secret is that from the Portuguese era Konkani was written in the English alphabet, which is commonly referred to as Romi script. Unfortunately, Hindu majority in Goa agreed to accept Konkani in the Devanagari script only and not also the Romi script. In fact, many did not even accept Konkani as their very own language and the Hindu population in Goa has traditionally used Marathi for cultural and religious purposes. Even the Ganesh aarti that is widely distributed by media organisations in Goa are available in Marathi and not even in Devanagiri Konkani script.
The tragedy of Konkani Mai is that the upper-class Hindus spoke and wrote in Marathi. The upper-class Catholics prided themselves in speaking in Portuguese. Both groups, the Hindus and the Catholics, dismissed Konkani as the language of the lower caste servants. Ironically, while Konkani may have been rejected by both upper caste Hindus and Catholics, it continues to be the mother tongue of all the backward classes including the Bhandari samaj, which accounts for over 60% of the population of Goa. It is the Hindu and Catholic so described backward classes who keep Konkani alive in their homes and cultural celebrations.
AFTER Liberation in 1961 it Konkani got a boost because Dayanand Bandodkar brought all the non-Brahmin caste groups together. What united them was Konkani. But the Hindus continued to write in Marathi and consider Marathi the language of religion and culture. It is not widely accepted that language has always polarized Goa around communal lines.
Till Goa became a state the Hindu population looked upon Marathi as the official language. The Catholics on other hand continue to read and write Konikani in the Romi script. Hindu religious rituals including the marriage rites continue to be in Marathi. The adoption of Devanagiri Konkani as the official language has made no difference.

ON THE OTHER HAND
ON the other hand, all Christian rituals including marriage and funeral prayers are in Konkani. Though the upper-class Catholics still cling to English. There is a cultural divide with the Catholics celebrating the “carnaval.” The carnaval or carnival is a Pagan festival which normally falls before the fasting month of Lent. The Lent period preceding Good Friday which marks the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. During Lent Catholics are supposed to stay away from meat and even any kind of festivity or celebration.
So before the austere observation of Lent starts we have the carnival when everyone drinks, eats and makes merry or so to speak, that is, before the long period of Lent abstinence. The Hindus on the other hand celebrate Shigmo which centers around Hindu gods and goddess. The Hindus in Goa organize Marathi natak. The cultural entertainment for the Catholics is the tiatr (Konkani drama).
The decision to make Konkani in the Devanagiri script continued the dominance of Marathi. The Hindus, except for a small group of Saraswat writers, did not accept Konkani in the Romi script but continued to write and promote the Devanagiri script. Most Hindus continue to read, write and use Marathi for religious and cultural expression. The Catholics on other hand continue to be obsessed with Romi Konkani.
LET us be clear that Marathi is the language of Maharashtra. Marathi is a language of Maharashtrians. It cannot be considered the language of any section of Goans. It is only because the Portuguese suppressed Konkani that Marathi by default became the cultural-religious language of Goa. There is been a change over the last two decades since the beginning of new millennium.
The ground reality is that generation Z which comprise of young people born after 2000, are rejecting both Marathi and Konkani. They are increasingly turning to English as their official language and the language of culture. Most young people speak, write and read in English. Both the Marathi fans and the Portuguese fans are a dying generation. Generation Z may be speaking Konkani at home but they are reading and writing in English. They prefer to listen to Cold Play and other international bands in English. They watch standup comedies in English. They don’t see Marathi or Konkani films. They see Hindi and English films.

ARTIFICIALLY KEPT ALIVE
IN a globalized world, regional languages are becoming irrelevant. Marathi is being kept artificially alive by political groups. In the past it was Pratapsingh Rane and the Marathi lobby consisting of MGP leaders like Ravi Naik and Ramakant Khalap. Never mind that Ravi Naik and Ramakant Khalap joined the Congress and killed the MGP. Successive governments have been forced to extend patronage to Romi Konkani because the Catholic still comprise over 25% of the population. The Catholic are an important vote bank in Goa.
It needs to be clarified that the recently concluded weekend Marathi film festival in Panjim was not an official event. It was made to appear like an official event because it was promoted by the Entertainment Society of Goa. Most importantly the Marathi film festival has the support of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who has always been perceived as a Marathiwadi.
It was the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant who inaugurated the 14th Marathi Film Festival in Panjim. Never mind that a fully packed auditorium at INOX waited for more than an hour because he came late. The Marathi Film Festival was organized by Vinson World based in Vasco da Gama, which handles advertising and event management for the government of Goa. The Marathi Film Festival was organized by Sanjay Shetye of Vinson Graphics which is also Vinson World.
There is absolutely no reason why the government of Goa and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should promote a Marathi cinema. Veteran actor Dr Mohan Agashe, who was the chief guest, pointed out that even in Maharashtra there is no separate Marathi film festival. The majority of people seeking to see the Marathi films were mostly Goan senior citizens. Again dramatizing the fact that the younger Hindu generation is not interested in Marathi films and culture.
While the Marathi film festival was totally limited to Marathi films, the Goa State Film Festival which is scheduled from August 14 to August 17, 2025 is open to all languages with a Goa connection. The Goa State Film Festival will also feature Marathi films by Goan filmmakers besides of course Konkani feature films. The GSFF also accepts and screens films in Marathi Hindi and English and any other Indian language as long as it has a Goan connection.
So much so not only films produced by Goans in Konkani and Marathi but even Hindi, Tamil and Telegu films which have been filmed or shot at Goa are eligible to participate in the GSFF is already providing an opportunity for Marathi films, there was absolutely no need for a separate Marathi film festival preceding the weekend before the GSFF commences.

RESPECT ALL LANGUAGES
WE respect all languages. We have no problems with any state promoting its language and culture in Goa. We have never objected to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh celebrating their statehood days in Goa. We have never objected to Karnataka setting up a Karnataka Bhavan in Goa. We have nothing against Marathi, though we would like to stress that it is not the mother tongue of Goans or the official language of Goa. However, we think the State government of Goa has no business promoting the language and culture of Maharashtra.

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