Goa, Sept. 8 -- ROBIN ROY

If the Marathi language issue has long been a po litical debate centred on preserving Marathi identity against the perceived dom inance of other languages, sample this. Months before the Goa As sembly polls, the Marathi Bhasha Nirdhar Samiti led a protest march in late August 2026, demanding co-official language status for Marathi alongside Konkani before the 2027 Assembly elections. Supporters cite Marathi's historical, cultural and re ligious roots in Goa and its widespread use in education and literature. Protesters also plan to collect five lakh signa tures for a petition to the Pres ident of India if their demand is ignored. Konkani organisations strongly oppose the move, viewing any elevation of Mar athi a...