On Friday, an event in Margao went almost unnoticed and could well mark the turn towards the most crucial sign that the tide may well have turned against the BJP. And news is that the FORCE is back.
The seemingly harmless Forum for the Rights of Children’s Education, (FORCE) brought the Congress government to its knees and then ‘forced’ the Parrikar government to promise grants for those who were teaching English in primary schools to ensure continuity of education. FORCE, backed largely by the people of Salcete, and also those in Mormugao and Tiswadi, won the grants for teaching in English, in the wake of many organizations listening to the voice of the parents. Manohar Parrikar as Chief Minister, could not but listen to the voices of FORCE, fresh after a huge mandate, built largely due to the support of the minorities. While grants were promised to Diocesan schools, so that schools which made a choice during the Congress regime did not suffer, the organisation felt like taking to the streets again because several promises including, looking after an institutions basic needs, have been kept on the back burner.
The Medium of Instruction issue which along with that of the Regional Plan were the non-negotiable subjects that had to be dealt with and closed by the government.
If in the middle of the term of the BJP government, the people of Goa and organisations like FORCE realise that precious little has been done towards the delivery of those promises, these will have serious ramifications for the BJP. In its first meeting since a very long time, the statements which emanated had political undertones. Father Zeferino, Secretary of the Diocesan Society of Education told parents of children who go to close to 130 schools run by minority managements, that 2017 (when assembly elections will be held) is not far and they had to stand united.
With the disappointment against the government mounting, FORCE actually has the capacity to turn the tide against this government and prepare for a political fight to ensure grants, not just in name but in reality.
The BJP can ignore the real impact of this FORCE, only at its own peril. And while it appears to represent just the Diocesan schools, it will gladly welcome agitationists fighting for the same cause making it indeed a huge FORCE.
The government is making a fundamental mistake. Like in the case of the Regional Plan, here too it is not engaging freely, or in a transparent manner with stake holders. Here FORCE is a recognized body backed by almost all parents. The government therefore doesn’t not even need to “meet the mob”, as they say. However in a matter of repeat behavior, it has chosen to completely ignore FOCE when its genuine demands promised earlier haven’t been met.
This failure, deliberate or otherwise, has become one more handle for the forces within the BJP who are trapped – the independent MLAs for example. Each of them have won due to an anti Congress sentiment, accentuated due to the Digambar Kamat’s government failure to finalise and close the MoI and the Regional Plan issues. When the State goes into poll battle mode in a year from now, it is these very questions that will be first asked of this government. After which the people of Salcete will turn to their independent MLA’s and ask is his why we voted you to power?
Either which way, the re-entry of FORCE, has happened at the right time.
