It is not a surprise to learn that the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, Goa Suraksha Manch and Shiv Sena combine will withdraw grants to English language primary schools if the alliance is voted to power. Such a statement from Subhash Velingkar, the convenor of the coordination committee of the combine, was expected. The parties have all, at some point of time of the other, made it clear that they were against grants to English medium primary schools. The Goa Suraksha Manch is the political arm of the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch, the movement that has been fighting for the mother tongue as the medium of instruction in the primary section. It took on the form of a political party only because it did not agree with the BJPs’s policy on the medium of instruction issue.
What is surprising is that the combine’s Chief Ministerial candidate, Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar remained silent when the statement of withdrawing grants was made in his presence, and just after the announcement of the alliance. He spoke up to say that the alliance was formed because the MGP, his party and the principal party in the alliance, had failed to ‘resovle the MoI issue with the BJP government’. The MGP was in alliance with the BJP for almost the entire term of five years but while the BBSM protested the government’s MoI policy, the MGP did nothing to force a decision that would fit within its viewpoint.
The MoI at the primary level has become a major issue. It is unfortunate that political parties are playing politics with this issue. Pushed by the BBSM to withdraw grants, the BJP-led government, when the MGP was still part of it, had formed an advisory committee to advise the government on grants to English medium schools and to study the entire system of grants, financial support to government aided schools and to improve the overall efficiency for achieving education goals. This was seen as a ploy to buy time, and when the committee’s term was extended last November, the government ensured that the committee’s recommendations would not come before the elections. The committee is still to meet with school managements in South Goa and with BBSM and Forum for Rights of Children to Education (FORCE) the pro-English group. With the code of conduct due to elections now in force, the committee has deferred its meetings and is unlikely to complete its task before its term comes to an end, forcing another extension, which a new government would have to decide on. However, with a political alliance already announcing what its decision on the MoI will be, the future of the advisory committee stands in question.
Every political party that is entering the fray these elections has to make clear its stand on the MoI and grants to English medium primary schools. There appears to be some ambiguity in the MGP-GSM-SS combine on the issue as Dhavalikar did not endorse Velingkar’s statement on withdrawal of grants, but spoke instead of resolving the issue, but in what manner, he didn’t elucidate. The clarity in this issue, which is the main reason for the alliance, is missing even before it goes out to the people asking for votes.
According to a recent Supreme Court decision, last week in fact, language is one issue that cannot be used to seek votes. How is this going to affect the polls in Goa, where language politics has played a huge role since the first election, and the MoI is a burning issue in this poll? Political parties in Goa need to step back on language politics, and when the language politics involves education there has to be some restraint.
