Team Herald
MARGAO: The Forum for Rights of Children’s Education (FORCE) has slammed Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar for playing games on the issue of Medium of Instruction (MoI).
Reacting sharply to the recent statements of Parrikar and Parsekar, Savio Lopes, FORCE General Secretary, accused the duo of showing double standards and dared them to enact a law wherein anyone whose children or grandchildren had studied in English medium schools should be barred from contesting the elections, in line with their version of ‘Goenkarponn’.
Lopes questioned whether Parrikar used Hindi or English for communication at the Defence Ministry, and stated that to maintain Goenkarponn, all communication should be in Konkani.
He added that since the Defense Expo was being held in Goa, the language used officially at the event and publicity should have been in Konkani, and in future, all national and international events held in Goa should use Konkani for all communication.
“They are only making new statements just to avoid the crux of the issue and deny thousands of Goan parents their legitimate right to choose the MoI. On behalf of these parents, I can say that we are fed up of the games they are playing with us on this issue and have lost our patience,” said Lopes.
It may be recalled that Parrikar, as chief minister, had passed a cabinet noting following consultations with stakeholders, including FORCE, but the BJP government has repeatedly fallen back on its promise to make it a law at the assembly sessions.
Lopes lashed out at Parsekar for stating that he had no time to attend the meetings of the select committee, of which he is the chairperson and which has been formed to look into the demands of making it an Act.
Parents recalled how, when Parsekar’s daughter could not get admission into the Goa University, Parsekar had enough time to intervene and change the rules to increase enrolment to ensure his daughter got admissions, but the same time and energy cannot be spared for the demands of thousands of parents.
Lopes has challenged Parsekar to a public debate on the MoI issue and added that the core issues should be discussed as opposed to the BJP’s long-standing tactics of trying to divert the issue.
“The BJP government doesn’t seem to know what it wants and what it is doing. All we have been fed is U-turn after U-turn on this issue, that has dragged and dragged, and they will continue to drag it,” said a parent.
Lopes also criticised the Parsekar government’s decision with regard to the spending of funds for schools based on MoI and how they defended such arbitrary decisions.
He accused the BJP government of deliberately trying to suppress the demand of parents so as to stunt the education potential of the masses and keep a large section of society grounded and as it stands to benefit them politically.
Lopes added that it is wrong for an elected government to impose its views on the parents on an issue like this, which will shape their children’s future. He said that every parent wants what’s best for their children and must be given the right to choose the same, and they did not need governments to tell them this.
