Groundbreaking for Air India memorial
with files from
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Law/2006/06/23/pf-1649332.html

and other sources
TORONTO (CP) June 23, 2006 - Families of the victims of the Air India bombing will soon have a place to go to remember their loved ones.

A groundbreaking ceremony for a memorial was held today in Toronto at Commissioners Park, overlooking Lake Ontario.

The Government of Canada and the India Canada Association hosted the memorial service in honor of the victims who perished on Air India flight 182 on June 23, 1985.

The ceremony was attended by Mr. Deepak Obhrai, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Asia-Pacific and Africa); Her Excellency Mrs. Shyamala B. Cowsik, High Commissioner of India; His Worship Bob Chiarelli, Mayor of Ottawa; and members of the India Canada Association.

Jayashree Thampi, who lost her husband and daughter, says she's grateful for the support all levels of government have given for the memorial.

The groundbreaking ceremony comes exactly 21 years to the day of the Air India bombing.

There were 329 people, including 280 Canadians, killed when flight 182 was downed by a terrorist bomb on June 23, 1985, near the Irish coast.

Judge to sort out 'cowardly' Air India bombing
Excerpt
from:http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2006/06/20/pf-1643814.html
June 21, 2006
By JIM BROWN
OTTAWA (CP) - Declaring the Air India bombing the most cowardly and inhuman act in Canadian history, former Supreme Court judge John Major is promising to do his best to bring belated solace to the families of the victims.

In an opening statement Wednesday at the public inquiry into the affair, Major said the probe is the "only route left" to find out exactly what happened, why it wasn't prevented and how to head off similar attacks in future.

He candidly admitted the justice system has so far failed those who lost loved ones when Air India Flight 182 was downed by a terrorist bomb off the coast of Ireland on June 23, 1985.

The 329 dead included 280 Canadian citizens, most of them of Indian origin or descent. More than 80 of the victims were children. "This massive murder was the most insidious episode of cowardice and inhumanity in our history," said Major.
Canada Apologizing to Chinese Over Tax
By BETH DUFF-BROWN
The Associated Press

TORONTO -- More than a century ago, Canada forced tens of thousands of Chinese who helped build the nation's railroads to pay a "head tax" to stay in the country and bring in their families. Now, Canada is ready to apologize.

Five frail survivors who paid the head tax _ the oldest is 106 _ were among those expected at Thursday's atonement ceremony in Ottawa. The government was also expected to announce compensation packages for the survivors, and for widows and children of those who paid the tax. The head tax, which started in 1885 at $50 and grew to $500 by 1903 _ then two years' wages for Chinese laborers _ was collected from some 81,000 Chinese immigrants. Collections ended in 1923, when immigration from China was banned; Canada began admitting Chinese again in 1947. Canada's Chinese community has long demanded a formal government apology for the tax, which was never levied against any other nationality, and compensation for the few survivors, their widows and families. Five survivors who paid the head tax made the four-hour train ride on the "Redress Express" from Toronto to Ottawa for Thursday's ceremony with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the House of Commons.

The five were expected to present a commemorative "last spike" from the transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railway to be mounted in the Railway Room of the House of Commons. "He's lived to this day and outlived all the other head-tax payers who couldn't live to see this day of apology," Landy Anderson, granddaughter of 106-year-old Ralph Lung Kee Lee, told the Toronto Star. She said her grandfather could not afford to bring his family to Canada for more than 20 years. "The impact is still felt today," Anderson said. "I can't even put it into words.

" Chinese immigrants began coming to Canada in the mid-1800s in response to the gold rush in British Columbia. Some 15,000 Chinese were brought in to help build the Canadian Pacific Railway, a job in which thousands of workers lost their lives.

When the railroad was completed in 1885, the government imposed the head tax on Chinese who wished to remain or those who wanted to join their husbands and fathers. "Once they had done the work to build the link across the country, they were told they weren't wanted," said Joseph Wong, founding president of the Chinese Canadian National Council, which represents many of the families.

Canadian Employers Struggle to Attract and Retain Employees
Hewitt Associates Survey Reveals Flexibility Key to Addressing Labour Shortage

TORONTO, June 15 /CNW/ - Canadian organizations of all sizes, in all parts of the country, and in all industries are finding it challenging to attract and retain employees, according to an extensive survey conducted by Hewitt Associates, a global human resources services company. As a result, a majority of the 232 survey respondents are implementing new programs focused on flexibility to address the problem.

Hewitt's survey reveals that three-quarters of organizations are having problems attracting or retaining new employees. Forty-four per cent are struggling with both attraction and retention. The problem is most acute in Alberta, where finding or keeping workers is an issue for 97 per cent of respondents, and almost two-thirds indicated that both are challenges. The problem is only expected to worsen, with half of the employees currently working at respondent organizations being baby boomers or older (age 40 or older). Employers indicated they anticipate close to 43 per cent of their employees will take early retirement and less than 11 per cent will work age 65.

"Canadian employers understand that they will all soon be facing the labour shortages companies in Alberta are already experiencing," said Cathy Course, a senior benefits consultant in Hewitt's Calgary office. "As a result, we're working with HR professionals across the country to look at new ways to adapt workplace policies and practices to appeal to workers in a competitive environment."

Flexibility in the Workplace The key to winning the attraction and retention challenge is flexibility, according to Hewitt's survey. More than half (52 per cent) of companies said arrangements such as flexible hours and benefits will have the most positive impact in helping them find and keep strong employees.

"Organizations are beginning to realize the need to convince older workers to stay on the job longer. At the same time, they want to convince Generation X and Y employees - those under age 40 - to join them," said John Tompkins, a principal in Hewitt's Toronto benefits consulting group. "With an employee population so diverse in terms of age, a 'one size fits all' approach is no longer effective. Employers who can identify and meet the different needs of their employees will be most successful in the current labour market."

Time To Open Our Eyes To Elder Abuse
Public Service Announcements Unveiled on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

Initiative for ending mandatory retirement for workers aged 65 or older by
December 31, 2006.

TORONTO, June 15 /CNW/ - The McGuinty Government is supporting a public awareness campaign that will shed light on the problem of elder abuse, Jim Bradley, Ontario's Minister Responsible for Seniors, announced today.

"We are on the side of Ontario seniors, and are committed to helping them live in safety, with dignity and independence," said Bradley. "That's why the McGuinty Government is supporting community efforts to combat elder abuse, and is making sure people get the message that the abuse and neglect of seniors will not be tolerated in Ontario."

The Ontario Government and its community partners will screen powerful new public service announcements (PSAs) to mark the first World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15.

The PSAs depict common forms of abuse against seniors - financial, physical and emotional. The campaign was created for the Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (ONPEA) by the Saatchi & Saatchi advertising agency, which donated its creative talents. The PSAs are designed to act as a wake up call and raise public awareness of a societal problem that is growing in step with our seniors population.

Ontario is joining other jurisdictions across Canada and around the world on June 15th in efforts to raise awareness of elder abuse by observing the first World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

"We hope to make more people aware that abuse is a fact of life for at least 64,000 of Ontario seniors," says Bill Ryan, Chair of ONPEA. "We hope our public education efforts will help people recognize this problem in their family or community, and make them more likely to report abuse to someone who can help."

Other recent initiatives announced by the McGuinty Government to help seniors include:

- Providing $459,000 to help 61 organizations across the province combat elder abuse
- Increasing the number of cataract surgeries by 16 per cent
- Increasing hip and knee replacement surgeries by 28 per cent
- Ending mandatory retirement for workers aged 65 or older by December 31, 2006.

PUZZLE WRAPPED IN AN ENIGMA: UNDERSTANDING KONKANI IN GOA
Posted On Goans Tanzanite <goans_tanzanite@yahoogroups.com>
By: "Frederick Noronha (FN)" <fred@bytesforall.org>

By Pratap Naik, S.J.

PRATAP NAIK is a Jesuit and head of the Thomas Stevens Konknni Kendr.

Excerpt
Those who care for Konknni should be open to the ground reality and not be led by mere theoretical idealism or language and script chauvinism. In a democracy, mutual respect, understanding and unity in multiplicity these and other values must guide any action.

Pre-liberation Goa: During Goa's pre-liberation period, members of the majority community and common folks of the minority community, for their oral communication, used Konknni. The majority community used Marathi for primary education, for popular religion, accounts, written communication, theatre and other spheres of their lives.

The elite of the minority community used Portuguese at home and for education. They used Konknni to converse with the majority community and common folks of the minority community who did not know Portuguese language. Portuguese was considered the language of the cultured. The elite of the minority community looked down on Konknni as a language of the servants and the socio-economically backward commonfolk.

Konknni in the Roman script was used for popular religious practices and by the mass media. Konknni written in the Devanagari script hardly existed during this period. It had practically no influence over the members of the majority community too......

The Church contributed to standardize Konknni in the Roman script, which had its roots in sixteenth century. Let us call this dialect as Roman Script Standard Konknni (RSSK). After the liberation of Goa, Konknni language suffered a number of setbacks. This happened due to partly lack of vision and leadership on the part of the minority community, and partly due to the manipulative tactics used by self-proclaimed protectors of Konknni.

PUZZLE WRAPPED IN AN ENIGMA: UNDERSTANDING KONKANI IN GOA
Posted On Goans Tanzanite <goans_tanzanite@yahoogroups.com>
By: "Frederick Noronha (FN)" <fred@bytesforall.org>

By Pratap Naik, S.J.

PRATAP NAIK is a Jesuit and head of the Thomas Stevens Konknni Kendr.

Excerpt
Those who care for Konknni should be open to the ground reality and not be led by mere theoretical idealism or language and script chauvinism. In a democracy, mutual respect, understanding and unity in multiplicity these and other values must guide any action.

Pre-liberation Goa: During Goa's pre-liberation period, members of the majority community and common folks of the minority community, for their oral communication, used Konknni. The majority community used Marathi for primary education, for popular religion, accounts, written communication, theatre and other spheres of their lives.

The elite of the minority community used Portuguese at home and for education. They used Konknni to converse with the majority community and common folks of the minority community who did not know Portuguese language. Portuguese was considered the language of the cultured. The elite of the minority community looked down on Konknni as a language of the servants and the socio-economically backward commonfolk.

Konknni in the Roman script was used for popular religious practices and by the mass media. Konknni written in the Devanagari script hardly existed during this period. It had practically no influence over the members of the majority community too.

Marathi also enjoyed a privileged position among the majority community, which identified Marathi as their intellectual and cultural language. However there was no animosity or rivalry among the users of these three languages. These three languages co-existed with unity and harmony.

In the post-liberation period: After 1965, in keeping with the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church all over the world replaced Latin by local languages for the religious domain. Due to this, in Goa too, the Church actively promoted religious services in Konknni.

The Church contributed to standardize Konknni in the Roman script, which had its roots in sixteenth century. Let us call this dialect as Roman Script Standard Konknni (RSSK). After the liberation of Goa, Konknni language suffered a number of setbacks. This happened due to partly lack of vision and
leadership on the part of the minority community, and partly due to the manipulative tactics used by self-proclaimed protectors of Konknni.

*** After the liberation of Goa, Catholic schools introduced Konknni in the Devanagari script as a third language in their schools. The Devanagari proponents succeeded to convince a few leaders of the minority community that the Devanagari script is the "natural script" of Konknni and it is related to our nationalism and patriotism!

Majority of the students were from the Catholic community. They were familiar with the Roman script and the RSSK dialect due to religious literature and mass media. But the RSSK dialect was not taught in schools. A different dialect was thrust upon them in the name of Konknni and nationalism.

According to Ulhas Buyanv, one of the stalwarts of Opinion Poll in Goa and veteran Konknni singer, "a Konknni dialect of three per cent of a minuscule section of the majority community was forced upon 30% minority community."

Students of the minority community who had opted for Konknni had no real option. They were not familiar with Marathi. Besides they never identified with Marathi as their language.

Between Marathi and Konknni, they were pushed to take Konknni in Devanagari script. Students learnt Konknni not out of conviction or love of Konknni, but out of sheer compulsion. Therefore, they never took interest in keeping up the language they learnt. Once they finished their education, they simply gave up reading and writing Konknni in the Devanagari script. This situation created a strong feeling of dislike towards Konknni in the Devanagari script among the
minority community.

If the textbooks had included the Konknni dialect of the majority community and the RSSK dialect of the minority community, this unhealthy tension could have been avoided and a healthy blending of two dialects would have helped to promote a new standard dialect of Konknni in Goa. Dialects and scripts are emotional issues. In a democracy, one group cannot impose their preferences on the others. Language is far more important than its scripts. Unfortunately, among a section of Konknnis (or, Konknni speakers) the Konknni language was identified with the Devanagari script.

*** Schools run by the majority community promote more of Marathi compared to Konknni. As on September 30, 2004, there were 137 Konknni medium primary schools run by NGOs. Out of these only six primary schools are exclusively run by the majority community. However, the majority community was running 63 Marathi medium primary schools. On the other hand, the minority community ran 126 Konknni medium primary schools.

Konknni can be offered as the third language from the fifth to tenth standard in schools in Goa. As of February 3, 2005, in Goa there are 292 NGO high schools. Out of which only 207 schools offer Konknni as a third language. Out of these, 207 schools 126 belong to the minority community. This means more than 50% of high schools run by the majority community do not provide the option to their students to opt for Konknni as a third language. From this, if one concludes that Marathi is for the majority community and Konknni in Devanagari script mainly for the minority community, will one be wrong?

*** On February 26, 1975, the Sahitya Akademi in New Delhi recognized Konknni as an independent literary language, based mainly on the literature produced in Roman and Kannada scripts. In its recognition, the Sahitya Akademi never mentioned any script of Konknni.

On November 21, 1981 the Advisory Board of Konknni, which consisted of a majority of Devanagari proponents, calculatedly recommended that Devanagari should remain the script for Konknni.

Konknni speakers, writers and leaders of various scripts were not consulted for such a major decision. Nor was there any public debate to come to a consensus on this important issue of script. The entire process was a clandestine exercise of a few. Subsequently, whenever the question of script was raised, the Devanagari script proponents silenced those with another viewpoint by vociferously proclaiming that Sahitya Akademi recognized Konknni only in Devanagari script.

Consequently, Sahitya Akademi awards were given exclusively to books written in Devanagari script. This tradition continues till today. It is an open secret among Konknni writers that these awards are distributed among a small group of supporters and well-wishers of Devanagari script.

This manipulation reached its climax while selecting a Konknni book for the 2005 Sahitya Akademi award. Three jury members recommended a book. Two jury members were the publishers of the very same book, which was selected for the award.

The Sahitya Akademi's recognition to Konknni first sowed the seed of division among the supporters of Konknni and supporters of Marathi. Secondly, it created a rift between supporters of Devanagari script versus the supporters of other two major scripts of Konknni, namely, Roman and Kannada scripts. This gap continues to widen.

Prior to the recognition, these three groups lived and worked together with dignity. A popular language of the people does not need the recognition of an external organization. The Sahitya Akademi's recognition did more harm than good to the unity and harmony of Konknni and Konknnis.

*** In 1985, the Goa government founded the Goa Konkani Akademi (GKA). Its chief objective was spelled out thus: "The Akademi aims at bringing about speedy development of the Konknni language, literature and culture and also at promoting cultural unity of this state through Konknni language and literature." The GKA started actually functioning from 1986. The GKA was filled with Devanagari proponents and they interpreted Konknni to mean Konknni
written in the Devanagari script.

Till 2005, the Goa Konkani Akademi hardly did anything to fulfill its primary objective. In 2005, due to the demands of Roman script supporters, the Goa government ordered the GKA to publish and to give financial assistance to books written in the Roman script.

Roman script readers and writers who preserved and promoted Konknni for centuries and fought for it to become the Official Language of Goa have become second-class citizens in Goa itself. Anyone who supports or demands equal status to Konknni in the Official Language Act is considered to be a "fundamentalist" or a "promoter of disunity" by Devanagari proponents.

*** On February 4, 1987, the Goa Legislative Assembly passed the Official Language Bill. In the Official Language Act, under definitions 2c, it was stated the "Konkani language" means Konkani in the Devanagari script. Who created this deliberate mischief to include this definition of Konknni? What was the need to include such a definition? The majority of the Konknni supporters were then totally unaware of this manipulation or the implication of such definition. According to Mr. Tomazinho Cardozo, the ex-Speaker of Goa Assembly and ex-President of Dalgado Konknni Akademi, "This is the biggest fraud or conspiracy of the 20th century as far as Konknni is concerned."

The main objective of the State Language is to give preference to native speakers for government jobs. The Official Language Act of Goa is biased towards one section of the Goan community. Konknni is not a compulsory subject in the education system of Goa.

In other states, the State Language is compulsory in education. In Goa, for government jobs, the knowledge of Konknni (in Devanagari script) is essential and the knowledge of Marathi is desirable. With this policy, those who know both Konknni in Devanagari script and Marathi are given preference for jobs. Due to this, the present Language Act does not the promote unity and harmony among Goans.

Instead it has created disunity, mistrust and division in Goa. Prior to the Official Language Act, the situation in Goa was more cordial and friendly. It was falsely presumed that Konknni in the Devanagari script would promote unity in Goa.

But the reality is that the majority community has not fully accepted Konknni in Devanagari script in most spheres. It continues to use Marathi for religious services, education, mass media and cultural domains. Thus, in Goa, neither the majority community nor the minority community has fully accepted Konknni in the Devanagari script for all the domains of their life. Therefore, Konknni in Devanagari script alone cannot become a true bond of unity among Goans.

This writers experience for the last 35 years has shown that, in Goa, Konknni for oral communication and English for written communication will definitely unite all Goans, irrespective of their caste, creed and region. Therefore, for government jobs, knowledge of oral Konknni alone should be sufficient. Language fanaticism does not promote a language; rather it creates hatred towards a particular language and its speakers.

*** In 1990, the Bombay High Court ordered private managements to pay the government pay scale to their primary teachers. These primary schools were then being run in the English medium. Instead of challenging this verdict in the Supreme Court, managements approached the local government for assistance. For reasons best known to the government, it decided to give grants only to those schools who run their schools in Konknni, Marathi or any other recognized Indian language.

Minority community leaders, especially priests and nuns, were asked to run their schools in Konknni medium only to avail government grants. This major decision created innumerable problems for parents to educate their children in the Konknni medium. Besides, it further increased their dislike to Konknni in the Devanagari script.

Those who were financially better off preferred to send their children to English medium primary schools. Those belonging to the majority community continued to send their children to either Marathi or English medium schools. Those who economically cannot afford English education, continue to send their children to Konknni medium schools.

As on September 30, 2004 there are 1229 primary schools in Goa. Out which 968 (78.76%) offer Marathi medium and 216 (17.58%) offer Konknni as the medium of instruction. Every year, the Konknni medium schools are declining. In the year 1995, there were 244 Konknni medium schools. English medium schools are increasing day by day.

As on September 30, 2004 there were 81 English medium primary schools in Goa. From a reliable source in the Education Department, it is learnt that a number of managements have sought the permission to open English medium primary schools in Goa. English medium primary schools have become a common practice in our country. Hence, let the parents decide the medium of instruction of their children. In a democracy they have a right to choose.

Remedies: Those who care for Konknni should be open to the ground reality and not be led by mere theoretical idealism or language and script chauvinism. In a democracy, mutual respect, understanding and unity in multiplicity these and other values must guide any action.

In Goa, the Roman and Devanagari scripts are used to read and write Konknni. These two scripts represent two different standard dialects of Konknni. They could be compared to two wheels of a cart. For the survival of Konknni in Goa they are really essential. There cannot be true equality and harmony among the users of these two groups without justice. Justice will be given by amending the Official Language Act of 1987 to include Konknni written in the Roman script side by side of Konknni written in Devanagari script. Let these two groups live in Goa with dignity as equal citizens maintaining their identity.

At present, in the name of promoting local languages and culture, the Goa Government gives crores of rupees to the Goa Konkani Akademi, Marathi Akademi, Kala Akademi and the Art and Culture Directorate. Is there a need for the government to spend such an enormous amount of taxpayers' hard earned money for language and culture?

The government's involvement through its departments or autonomous institutions to promote local languages and culture has further divided the local people. Each group envies the other group.

It is high time that the concerned citizens question the government regarding the relevance and the need for such an exorbitant expenditure on language and culture.

Any language or culture is maintained, developed and promoted with the active support of its native speakers. When the government takes the initiative to promote a language or culture, it gradually kills the zeal of native speakers and in turn harms the progress of that language. Besides, manipulation, corruption, nepotism and degradation of the society are bound to enter and get rooted even in the field of art and culture.

A written language or a particular culture cannot be kept alive merely by the government's financial support. Therefore, let the Goa Government stop funding government institutions and other NGOs (non-governmental organisations), which promote local languages or cultures. Let the people develop and support their own language and culture as Tiatr and Marathi play lovers do it. Let the government concentrate its resources to promote local languages in education and administration.

Sahitya Akademi could encourage the Konknni literature by giving annual awards in turn to books published in the Devanagari, Roman and Kannada scripts. This is possible if the advisory Board of Sahitya Akademi that has a majority from among the Devanagari proponents agree to resolve to the script issue by mutual understanding.

Whatever may be the medium of instruction, the proponents of the Devanagari script should demand from the government to make Konknni a compulsory subject in schools. So far they have not done so. Why? This remains a mystery. Fighting against granting the official status to Konknni in the Roman script and cursing the impact of English in Goa will not help the cause of Konknni in Devanagari script. Rather it will lead to the natural death of the Konknni written in the so-called "natural script" of Konknni.

The good of Goa and Goans is far more important than mere language or script controversy.