The talk focussed on the ill-effects of the language controversy on every sphere – education, culture, race, communities, social interaction and its worst visible manifestation in politics, irrespective of any political Party. The discussion unearthed the conspiracy behind the controversy following the declaration of the “Identity Year” in 2002. The very foundation of our country -noble ideas enshrined in its constitution, secularism, equality, brotherhood- has been undermined. Mr. Naik showed how a fraction of a tiny ethnic group forming hardly 2 to 3% of the population has taken Goa and the country for a ride.
Ramnath G. Naik, a Science graduate, works for a nationalized bank. He studied in Marathi medium up to the IV standard only. For the last 15 years he has contributed to various Marathi dailies and to a few English ones. His lead articles have questioned and challenged directly some stalwarts of Devanagari Konkani but he says that there was no response from them. All were related to the ill-effects, created by the controversy, on the Goan masses (irrespective of caste and creed) who are deprived of their rightful social development.
Mr. Naik has to his credit three books in Marathi 1) translation of the English autobiography of Dr. Jose Francis Martins, 2) Collection of selected articles and 3) Conspiracy behind Goa’s Language Controversy. He never lived in Maharashtra. He is in touch with several authorities who are connected with the language issue. He belongs to no political party.
