BHIVA PARAB | NT
PANAJI: The medium of instruction (MOI) issue could become a major issue during the forthcoming election with the rise of a political outfit – Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM)-led by RSS rebel Subhash Velingkar.
The GSM is the outcome of Velinkar’s differences with the BJP over the MOI issue.
According to some people, the BJP, while in the opposition, had assured the voters during its 2012 election campaign that if it came to power, it would “change the policy and ensure that English-medium schools are not get the government grants.”
However, the BJP did not fulfil its promise and declared that the grants to English-medium schools would continue, they said.
“And, so Subhash Velingkar publicly criticised and opposed the BJP for backtracking on its stand on the MOI issue, and because of this, Velingkar was removed as the RSS Goa chief, which led to the formation of a political party – GSM with the MOI as the main issue for the forthcoming assembly election.”
The former RSS chief has many followers in various constituencies of the state, especially, in the North Goa, and it will have an impact on the BJP vote bank and it is likely that the party would be hit wherever there is a presence of the RSS volunteers, they added.
“In the constituencies like Mandrem, Pernem, Bicholim etc, there is a strong presence of the RSS volunteers. The first meeting of the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM), which was held at Mandrem, had witnessed a large turnout,” said a local Sainath P, adding the issue will have an impact on the BJP votes.
The MOI issue will lead to the erosion of the BJP vote base during the coming assembly election, and to add to the woes of the BJP, the MGP has parted ways with it and joined hands with the GSM, he said.
Though the decision to continue grants to English-medium schools was termed as U-turn, it brought much relief to aided English medium schools. A section of parents from all communities prefer their children being educated in English rather than in vernacular languages.
However, there is a section of people who support the MOI issue that is being raised by the GSM.
It may be recalled that the Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had said that “there may not be much of an impact of the RSS Goa prant on the BJP votes.”
With the sufficient number of BJP workers, the party would be in a comfortable position to fight the assembly elections, Parsekar had added.
