Fight to make Konkani as sole official language of Goa

Can you see the placards?? This was during the agitation to snatch for Konkani its rightful place in the Constitution of Goa as THE only Official Language of the smallest state in the Union of India. We had to fight against our own govt, then headed by a stubborn man (he claims to be an MBA), sorry, a very intelligent man in terms of gathering VOTES...but VERY POOR on language!!

Pratapsing Raoji Rane was adamant and even made 8 (eight) MLAs of his own party (I N Congress) stand for Marathi to be included as "another" official language. Our agitation was on for 555 days (from July 29, 1985) after which on Feb 4, 1987 the bill recognising Konkani as the SOLE official language was passed when Rajiv Gandhi (then PM) hit Rane on the head with his Big Stick of the High Command....

Can U see me in the foreground with checked shirt and sans beard and my friend, Sunil Palkar just behind me with a beard?.. today, BOTH of us have ripened and changed...

But history remains history...