NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Stating that the medium of instruction issue will dominate the talks pertaining to the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance for the forthcoming state legislative assembly election, Minister for Public Works Department Ramakrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar on Tuesday said that on a number of occasions in the recent past the MGP leaders had requested the BJP-led government to withdraw its grants to over 100 English primary schools around Goa, but these requests were met with rejection.
“The MGP is firmly behind the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch and its demand as regards withdrawal of government grants to these schools,” he stated, observing that the state MOI policy needs to be rectified on many counts.
The MGP is the alliance partner of the state government led by the BJP.
Maintaining that the MGP is very clear on its stand as regards necessity of primary education for local children, in either Marathi or Konkani as the medium of instruction, Dhavalikar speaking to the
media persons reiterated that the MGP wants the grants given to over 100 English primary schools immediately withdrawn.
“If the local languages are not allowed to grow, we will witness all the Kala Mandirs constructed by the government in the state organising only western music programmes, after a couple of years,” he noted.
The PWD Minister also said that instead of taking any extreme step on the particular issue, the MGP would rather let the government complete its ongoing term, since the people have given mandate to it, to rule the state.
Replying to a question, Dhavalikar said that he or any other MGP leader has neither prevented any MGP worker from participating or attending the BBSM meetings nor would do so in the future.