Team Herald
PANJIM: After eight days on hunger strike, Forum for Rights of Children to Education (FORCE) organising secretary Savio Lopes broke his fast to the sound of thundering applause from thousands of parents from all over the State. With him, other parents on a chain hunger strike also ended their protest.
The end to the strike came after 11 MLAs, including ministers, presented a written assurance that the Medium of Instruction (MoI) policy would be brought in the form of a bill in the next Assembly session.
Parents flooded Panjim’s Azad Maidan on Monday afternoon to decide whether to end the strike that began on July 27 or continue it. After receiving a written assurance presented by the 11 MLAs at the meeting, several PTA members proceeded to feed Lopes coconut water as a sign of an end to his eight-day hunger strike.
In the assurance, the ministers said, “We would like to reiterate the assurances given by H’ble Chief Minister in the Assembly that the committee proceedings will be expedited and the matter be placed before the House for its approval in the next Assembly session Dec 2015/Jan 2016.”
Speaking to the crowd gathered, FORCE treasurer Sintia Fernandes asked parents gathered whether they wanted Lopes to stop his fast, to which the crowd roared yes.
“We have gathered the executive members of several of Goa’s PTAs here to take a decision. The ministers have given us their assurance to pass the bill in the next session, and they should do it. We will be peaceful if they do. If they don’t do it, we will not be peaceful,” she said, adding that the event of July 30 was only the trailer and come December, if the bill wasn’t passed, “we will show the entire movie”.
Regarding the next course of action, Fernandes said a decision will be taken after the general body meeting. Lopes, after being fed with coconut water, was led to an ambulance and later shifted him to a nearby hospital. He did not make any comment.
