PANJIM: Claiming that the decision to give grants to English medium primary schools was a big mistake by Congress in 2011, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday hinted that the State may make a bi-lingual medium of instruction (MoI) compulsory up to Class X.
“Decision to give grants to English was a big mistake by the Congress and the decision cannot be reverted without a financial implication, which the State cannot bear,” Parrikar said at a BJP function in the city.
He said that no other party in the State can give a better solution to the MoI than the BJP. With two forces – BBSM and FORCE – fighting over the MoI issue, he said, “The BJP has taken a middle path and continues giving grants to 135 Diocesan schools.”
Parrikar, however, said the party still believes that primary education must be in the mother tongue.
“However, in future we will make sure that teachers will have to use two books in two languages so that the matter is explained in a proper way to the students,” he said.
BJP’s unofficial whip
In another of his unique ‘firmans’, Parrikar also advised his MLAs and workers not to be present at functions or programmes where the party is being criticised.
“Wherever there is criticism, the party MLAs and workers should not attend the same,” he said adding, “A few years ago some of our MLAs had attended and that was a mistake.”
In 2012 a few Catholic MLAs had joined the Vijai Sardesai group at a function where the BJP was heavily criticised. That obviously rankles the former Chief Minister who is allergic to criticism.
