The ongoing and ever-boiling MoI imbroglio is, and always will be unending unless there is a sort of compromise and understanding over it. Enough has been said, written, and deliberated on this contentious issue but without any amicable solution to the warring sides i.e, BBSM v/s FORCE.
Agreed and accepted that even during the Portuguese regime, primary education was imparted in Marathi medium and everything was well with all and sundry irrespective of the caste, culture and creed. Now with the passage of time the Marathi/Konkani issue has hit the basic of the iceberg and the cordial relation which both languages enjoyed has frozen and has been kept in cold storage.
Konkani language is unique in its own right, though it can be considered as step sister of Marathi. It gives identity to Goans and it’s “Goenkarponn”. A Niz Goenkar will be identified in any nook and corner of the world, if and only if he speaks Konkani. By speaking Marathi the first impression will be that he is an Indian hailing mostly from Maharashtra rather than Goa. Marathi is a great language and the state language of Maharashtra and the language of the great Marathas. It has its own rich history and heritage in the linguistic world.
The moot question is, why there is a tussle and tug-of-war between the two languages in our Mankulem Goem? It is mostly patronized by political and socio-cultural leaders. In reality majority of the Goans from Pernem to Canacona use Konkani in their household and their day to day conversation and mundane activities to the tune of 85 to 90%. The burning topic in Goa today is regarding the MoI to be followed in primary school and the allowance of grants by the Govt. One school of thought advocates that primary education is to be imparted in the mother tongue of the child, and we known that a child can’t have two mothers. So it has to be either Konkani/Marathi. The other school of thought believes that the MoI at the primary level thus not affect the performance of the child a later age and hence request that the choice of the MoI may be given to the parents who known what is the best for their wards.
I presume it is quite rational to give an unbiased hearing and decision to keep both the parties happy and the government to wash of its hands clean. After all it is the fundamental right of the child guaranteed in the Constitution for fair and free education at the primary level, and the parents are only demanding what is due to them. At this crucial stage of the child’s life it is the parents who are the best judges’ of the child future. After all who foot’s the bill are the parents themselves by way of paying taxes to the government. To conclude, irrespective of the MoI viz,. Konkani/Marathi/Urdu/English as long as children go to school of their parent’s choice the government is bound to fulfill its duty of paying the salaries of the concerned teachers.
