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Catalans are 'persecuting' the language of Cervantes

By Graham Keeley (The Independent) in Barcelona Published: 30 May 2007

The language of Cervantes is being "persecuted" by nationalists in Catalonia, a director of Spain's leading linguistic body has claimed. Gregorio Salvador, the deputy director of the Royal Spanish Academy - Spain'sversion of the authority which compiles the Oxford English Dictionary - hitout at the way Spanish was being downgraded in schools by nationalists runningthe regional government in the north-eastern region.

Catalan is the first language in schools in Catalonia and Spanish is taughtonly two hours a week. Mr Salvador said: "Franco's dictatorship imposed [Castilian] Spanish on the Catalans and the Catalans thought it was an abuse, which it was. But now thesame thing is happening the other way round."In an interview with the Argentine daily, Clarin, Mr Salvador said that regional governments in Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galicia - which allhave their own languages - "have come up with dictatorial regimes oflinguistic immersion". He said that children were increasingly taught in regional tongues. Headded: "The children of Spanish speakers in Catalonia do not have the optionof studying in Spanish. Spain is the only country in the world where people cannot be taught in their own language and have another one imposed on them. "After democracy was restored in 1978 Catalonia, like other regions,was grantedmore autonomy. Nationalist authorities started a process of "normalisation" in which Catalan was introduced to every part of everyday life. A political linguistic department was established in the regional governmentto enforce laws which say Catalan must have equal status with Spanish. Companies can be fined if they do not print signs in both languages. Some Spanish parents, who want their children to study Castilian, have broughtcourt cases against the regional education department. The Catalan regional government even gave ?15,000 (£10,000) to a film director to make three pornographic films because they promoted Catalan. But Artur Mas, the leader of the conservative nationalist party, Convergencia i Unio, said that Mr Salvador's remarks were "an insult to Catalonia" that demonstrated "little common sense''.

I es queden tan amples!! (They stay so amples)

Que n'hem de fer??? Rauxa o seny??