The battle against government grants to English primary schools is a malicious attempt to stifle the parent’s choice in RTE, trying to communalize an otherwise secular issue, forming various organizations to fight the same.
To those who say that the child’s primary education should be only in the mother tongue, I would like to ask a few questions: “How many Goans in the past had their primary education in Konkani our mother tongue?” Many of us, of the older generation, had our primary education in Portuguese. We were even fined for speaking in Konkani in the school. Many other Goans had their primary education out of Goa, either in Mumbai, Africa or other countries, in English. Did they suffer because of this? And did not Goans shine in the world despite not having undergone their primary education in their mother tongue? Can’t we without neglecting our Konkani language be open to our present day situations?
The entire problem is fanaticism. Those who advocate the primary education in Konkani and that too in Devanagari script, are closed to roman script. If a language can be written in five or more different scripts it shows only the richness of the language. Why are they reluctant to recognize the Romi script of Konkani? If our mother can wear five different saris in five different places, who are we, her children, to tell her that she should wear only the Devanagari sari?
The argument that only Devanagari script can save Goan identity and culture is fallacious. Although our constitution has carved the states on the linguistic and cultural basis, can only our Konkani language and culture save our Goan identity? If our land is overwhelmingly brought by outsiders and nearly 75 to 80% of our state population is going to be non Goans will they save our identity and culture? It is pertinent to note here that none of those who are fighting against English in the primary education under the false pretext of saving our identity and culture have ever raised their voice against the onslaught of our identity and culture by ethnic genocide of real Goans who have become aliens in their own land and who being unable to bear this onslaught are migrating to foreign shores.
