The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) and Shiv Sena (SS) combine that is fighting the February 4 Assembly elections together are apparently not seeing eye-to-eye on crucial issues, pertinently one specific issue that actually brought them together. For the past few months there has been talk of like-minded parties coming together, and of all the expected alliance, the only that materialized MGP, GSM and SS, were three parties that appeared to be on the same side of the table where the Medium of Instruction (MoI) and casinos was concerned. But, the release of the manifestoes of the three parties further widened the cracks that were already visible over the past few weeks. While GSM and SS released a joint manifesto, MGP on the same day went solo with its promises, and the differences in the two manifestoes were stark.
While GSM and SS did not waver from their stand on MoI and casinos, promising that they would discontinue grants to English medium primary schools if they come to power, the MGP manifesto remained silent on the issue, with Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar calling it an old issue and stating that it will be decided later when the parties sit together. He took shelter of a recent Supreme Court ruling that banned the use of religion, language as poll campaign issues, and said this was the reason why they had decided not to incorporate any reference to the MoI in the party manifesto.
Contrast this to the GSM-SS manifesto that has been unequivocal in its promise that government grants to English medium primary schools will be discontinued in a phased manner from the academic year 2017-18. There is no ambiguity on this and the parties have gone further to state that special incentives will be given to primary schools in Marathi, Konkani and other Indian languages. These promises coming from the GSM should not evoke any surprise, as the manch came into existence precisely to oppose grants to English language primary schools. It has been opposing the present government, and also opposed the previous one, for agreeing to provide government grants to English medium primary schools.
But it is not just MoI where there is disagreement, there is at least one other major issue on which the parties do not agree and that is the casinos. While Dhavalikar said it is ‘impossible to stop casinos’ and that it would also be difficult to relocate them and even amend the Act, the GSM and SS together have said that ‘subject to the due process of law’ the Goa Gambling Act will be amended to terminate the casino licences. Dhavalikar’s argument on the issue is that any attempt to shift or close down the casinos would lead to litigation, but he made one promise that no casinos will be allowed in future.
Besides the closure of mining operations and their subsequent restart, and the finalization of the Regional Plan, issues that dominated the entire term of the BJP-led government were MoI and casinos. If the parties in this alliance cannot agree on these even before the election, at a time when political parties make promises that some never intend to keep, there is little hope that the alliance can find much common ground should they come to power. The little disagreements are actually indicative of what the parties would ideologically stand for, if they were to live up to their names.
Here is a situation where MGP and GSM, by their very nomenclature appear to be not suitable to each other. While GSM is a movement that by the definition of its name is here to defend Goa, the MGP’s name signifies that it owes its allegiance to Maharashtra. The MGP was so formed, to merge Goa with Maharashtra, while GSM claims that it is here to protect Goan culture and language. Really, how can this twain ever meet?
