Let us trust the devil himself but not Manohar Parrikar the politician. Parents should have a choice for MoI.

The BJP government in Goa first headed by Manohar Parrikar and then by Laxmikant Parsekar have been playing with the sentiments and emotions of Goans. BJP politicians just like the Congress have become so insensitive and hard of hearing of people’s opinions that they care two hoots to the wishes and demands of the parents.

At the moment parents are demanding a choice for their children to be instructed. Be it the mother tongue or Indian language or international language. But the BJP government keeping the sword dangling over the heads of lakhs of students thereby putting their future in jeopardy.

Parents demanding grants to English as MoI to be passed as an Act.

The BJP and some language chauvinist of which former Chief Minister and current Defence Minister is a part of; are of the opinion that education at the primary level should be in one’s mother tongue as it helps in moulding of a child.

The question that Goan parents are asking is, ‘which is the mother tongue’ of Goa. If it is ‘Konkani’ then why equal status to ‘Marathi’. If it is Konkani, then why extend grants to Marathi schools in Goa and deny the same to English. Is it just because Marathi is an Indian language or is it because the scriptures of Hindu brethren is written in that language.

Then if Konkani is the mother tongue of Goa, why ‘Devnagari’ script and not ‘Romi’ script given that the scriptures of Christian community is in ‘Romi’ script.

Parrikar and the likes beat their breast or rather show to the public that their heart beats for Konkani but in reality it is just opposite. Their heart beats for Marathi. Parrikar and his cronies have completed most of their education in Marathi medium and then through English medium. To put the record straight, Manohar Parrikar completed his last two years of high school from Loyola high school in Margao run by the Jesuits.

Secondly, if the government has been promoting mother tongue, how come Marathi schools are flourishing in Goa compared to Konkani schools. Directorate of Education statistics indicate that more than 31,000 thousands students are studying in Marathi medium government as well as aided schools, whereas only 6000 students are studying in Konkani medium government as well as aided schools.

Question is why should government allow Marathi schools to thrive in Goa. Question is what has the government done to promote, propagate or encourage Konkani schools in Goa.

Recently Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has announced Rs. 400 to students availing primary education in Marathi or Konkani. This amount translates to Rs. 15 crores for Marathi schools and mere Rs. 3 crores for Konkani. The BJP government is indeed playing a cruel joke on Konkani loving Goans.

But that has been the policy of the BJP government. Set-up airport at Mopa to benefit tourism in Maharashtra and kill the same in Goa. Hand over 9 lakh sq. kms of land in Tiracol to hoteliers from outside Goa and then another 6 lakh sq.kms of land at Naqueri-Betul to Defence Ministry but do nothing to get back the land and islands occupied by the military and Navy.

All that the government has done is only tried to block English as medium of instruction in schools run by the Christian community like the Jesuits, Don Bosco, Archdiocese Board of Education and Diocesan Society of Education (DSE).

If the government was serious about imparting primary education in mother tongue only, it would not have permitted 130 unaided English medium schools in Goa.

It is an open secret that these unaided English medium schools are allowed to charge fees as per their whims and fancies. The government or rather the Directorate of Education refuses to audit their annual financial statement and thus fails to regulate the fees charged by these businessmen who run these schools under the guise of Charitable Trusts and Mandals. This means the rich gets an opportunity to educate their children in English medium schools and the poor are forced to go to government schools and be taught in mother tongue. What the government is trying to tell you is that since you are poor you uphold the mother tongue but if you are rich enough to pay the hefty fees of the unaided English medium schools you do not have to bother about your mother tongue. And this is what Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said recently, “Goans must understand to maintain Goenkarponn, it is always better to learn in mother tongue at primary level, we have to save Goa and not become Englishman”.

This man studied in Marathi and English, he did nothing as Chief Minister to make Konkani as the sole mother tongue of Goa but is telling us to maintain Goenkarponn. He fails to understand that ‘Goenkarponn’ and Konkani go hand in hand. Hence it is better to trust the devil himself but Manohar Parrikar the politician as he will use all the tricks in the book to stay in power.

Rest assured this BJP government whose High command and Low command is Manohar Parrikar himself will not allow government grants to aided schools to become a law. Just like the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, Manohar Parrikar and his BJP are in love with Maharashtra.

The only thing that holds them back from again trying to merge Goa with Maharashtra is their lust for power.