PANJIM: In what can further create troubles for BJP led State government, its party leader and union minister for AYUSH Shripad Naik said Goa government’s stand on Medium of Instruction is wrong.
“The Primary education in mother tongue is must. Government’s policy on MoI is wrong,” Naik said on the day when BBSM had show of strength at Pernem over the issue.
“But we also need to see under what circumstances this policy was drafted. Why Congress and BJP governments were forced to enact such a policy has to be seen,” he added.
“There is nothing wrong in BBSM agitating for their right. Primary education in mother tongue is universal principle. Whatever that has happened in the State we have a right to rectify it,” Naik said reacting to the controversy, two days after Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar reprimanded his ministers Avertano Furtado and Rajendra Arlekar for going public against the government on this issue.
Rajendra Arlekar had stirred a hornet’s nest when he made a statement saying that the government was wrong in giving grants to the English medium primary schools. Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza said he would stand by the CM’s decision but was of the opinion that the government should give freedom to parents to decide the medium of instruction for their children.
However, Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado along with the Velim MLA Benjamin D’Silva, condemned the statements of the Environment Minister Arlekar and said that it is ill advised for a minister to make such a statement. They said it was unbecoming of a cabinet minister and warned that such statements would affect the BJP’s association with MLAs supporting the government.
Parsekar intervened the next day and asked Arlekar and Avertano to keep quiet on the MoI issue saying the ministers have no power to express their personal opinion on the issue. He said the ministers are part of the government which had already taken a decision and should refrain from making any statements on the issue in future.
The union minister, Naik, said State government is working on trying to find out a solution to this problem of MOI.
Suggesting that BBSM should take little softer stand, Naik said “everybody is firm on their stands.” “But if everybody takes one step backwards then a good solution may result,” Naik said.
Former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar refused to comment over the MoI issue on Sunday when asked by the reporters after inaugurating the bridge at Cumbharjua.
