Herald: Are the recently held public meetings at Margao and Panjim (Friday and Saturday respectively) an attempt to pressurize government to implement its cabinet decision for giving grants to schools imparting primary education in English into legislation?
Savio Lopes: The cabinet had taken this decision in July 2014 to make it into an Act in the next assembly session. But they lied. Till date four legislative assembly sessions have passed and the result is nil. After failing to bring it up in the 2015 monsoon session of the assembly, the government promised to fulfill our demand in the coming winter session of the assembly (in January 2016). We are not confident but hopeful that the government will not let us down this time. The reason why we are holding public meetings is essentially to be prepared with our future course of action in case the MoI is made into a law. If CM (Laxmikant Parsekar) fails to live up to his commitment, people should decide whom to trust.
Herald: So does this mean that FORCE is in a tussle with BBSM that is also pressurizing the government not to give grants to English medium primary schools?
Lopes: We are not against any party or group but we are here to expose the evil designs. They want to divide the society on religious and caste basis, without touching the merits of the issue.
They are diverting to an irrelevant part… FORCE is fighting the battle for last four years and will
continue to do so in the larger interest of the people.
Herald: With over two months left for the winter session of the Goa legislative assembly, what is the strategy of FORCE to keep the issue alive?
Lopes: We have sought people’s view and suggestions to place it before our executive committee… After the two public meetings, we have decided to meet parents and like-minded citizens across the State to sensitize them on the issue. We may also hold meetings at village and/or taluka level till our demands are met.
