Goa govt urged to merge Karwar into Goa
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 16 February 2013 20:25 IST
Goa Rajya Ekikaran Manch demanding Karwar merger
Konkani community from Karwar, Joida and Halyal have urged Goa government to take initiative in forming complete Goa by merging them into the Konkani state.
The Goa Rajya Ekikaran Manch feels that merger of three talukas of North Canara across Goa border would help Goa also from economic point of view.
Addressing a press conference at the 21st All India Konkani Literary Conference, president of the Manch Prakash Palankar said the Konkani people of original Goa are still being sidelined while Goa has even made a Konkani state.
He feels Goa government should file intervention application in the case pending before the Supreme Court about Maharashtra's claim over Belgaum as well as these three talukas.
He said it was a question of accommodating two lakh people more while Goa would economically benefit from the hydro-electric projects over Kali dam as well as the Kaiga nuclear power project, making it power-independent state.
In addition, he said the whole belt has a rich forests, port, fishing belt as well as vegetables.
Veteran writer Yeshwant Palekar said the merger would make Goa a unified state in its real state.
Usha Rane and Asha Palankar said merger of these three Konkani talukas would complete the liberation of Goa.
N Shivdas, a Goa writer while supporting the cause, observed that only Portuguese Goa was liberated while the original Goa was kept out even after liberation when historically it has been part of Goa.
"Our culture, eating habits, language and lifestyle is in no way different from Goans and inter-state weddings is a common phenomena", pointed out Usha Rane.
Sandesh Bandekar and Dipak Desai informed that their children go to Goa to study since the majority Konkani community in the whole belt is compelled to learn Kannada, which is not their mother tongue.
