NT NETWORK
PANAJI
The alliance that was formed on the foundation of medium of instruction as the core issue is divided on the most contentious matter. With Maharshtrawadi Gomantak Party on one side and the Goa Suraksha Manch and the Shiv Sena on the other, the divide was revealed in their separate manifestos.
Addressing the media one after another at the same venue on Saturday, the two groups unveiled their manifestos for the ensuing assembly elections. While the MGP has abstained from any commitment on MOI, the GSM-Sena duo have promised to discontinue grants to English medium primary schools in a phased manner from the academic year 2017-18.
On the issue of casinos, again the MGP has remained noncommittal, but the other two parties of the alliance have promised to amend the Goa Gambling Act in order to withdraw all casino licences.
When asked on the absence of the two agendas from the MGP manifesto, Former PWD minister and senior MGP leader Ramakrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar said, “MOI is an old issue, and Supreme Court guidelines have clearly stated that any issue related to language should not be taken up as an election agenda. This is the reason why we have only focused on how to promote regional languages.”
However, senior member of Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch Arvind Bhatikar, under whose guidance the GSM–Sena manifesto has been drafted, said the MOI issue is the core agenda of the alliance.
“Special incentives will be given to primary schools in Konkani and Marathi and other Indian languages, discontinuing the grants currently given to Diocesan Society English medium (primary) schools,” Bhatikar stated.
On the issue of casinos, Dhavalikar said that it was not possible to relocate the casinos or terminate their licences at this stage.
“We cannot throw them out. I don’t want to make any false promises in the manifesto. We have not brought them here. They were brought by the Congress and the BJP backed it later. If we throw them out they will file cases against government. We will have to carry out a study on relocating them into the deep sea first,” he added.
Stating that the party has never supported any gambling activities, Dhavalikar said, “In future we will not permit any casinos. But now even if we amend the Act and terminate their licences, they will take us to the court.”
Negating that there is a difference among alliance partners on the issue of MOI, Dhavalikar said, “One should not take it as differences among the parties as we need to work with a foresight. They have also said that grants would be stopped in phases. It cannot be done at once.”
Both the ‘factions’, however, informed that the priorities of the parties while finalising the common minimum programme would be different. Dhavalikar said, “These issues could be part of our common minimum programme. After getting 21 of our candidates elected, it would be decided on.”
Bhatikar clarified that “the common minimum programme is slightly different in the sense that within the limited span of five years and the resources available to the government all three of us will have to sit and decide, which are the most important issues we are taking up first.”