Team Herald
PORVORIM: Gomantak Marathi Academy (GMA) condemned the rasta roko organized by Forum for Rights of Children to Education (FORCE) on July 31 and warned of an agitation if the government continued to give grants to English-medium schools.
Regarding the 11 MLAs who assured to fulfill FORCE’s demand in the next Assembly session, GMA president Sanjay Harmalkar questioned what right they had to give such an assurance and stated that it was none of their business.
At a press conference in Porvorim on Saturday, he said, “If they continue to support FORCE, the electorate will teach them a lesson. The government, instead of taking steps to prevent closure of Marathi-medium primary schools in Goa, is bent upon continuing grants to English-medium schools. It is not acceptable at all. GMA will join hands with other like-minded organizations and intensify its agitation.”
GMA vice president Narendra Azgaonkar stated that GMA staff had not received their salaries for the last three months, while the Association had not received grants since 2012. He said, “Instead of offering support to local languages, the government is pampering English, which is not fair. GMA is trying to get an appointment with Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar for the past year, but he has no time to meet GMA office bearers and sort out their issues.
It shows that the government is insensitive towards local languages.”
