Q: Looking at the compulsions of the political parties as linked to the gathering of votes from all sections of the society, are you confident that the demand of the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch for withdrawal of government grants to over 100 English primary schools ever reach a logical conclusion?
The Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch feels that the thought process of any and every political party should not be limited to winning the election and coming to power. These political outfits should also think about the eternal values that exist in our life, and which form the base of the culture of our country. Language of the land, in fact forms the ideological pedestal for these eternal values. Education in mother tongue has already been proven to be logical as well as scientific. The UNESCO, the universal principal of education, all the education related commissions set up in the country from the era of Pt Jawaharlal Nehru till date, have unanimously observed that the basic education should be provided in one’s mother tongue. Therefore, the government need not compromise on the medium of instruction issue. The political parties should view the MOI issue, in this particular context. Or else, everything in the educational sector will move towards crass commercialisation. I feel that the political parties should rise above the power games, and look at the MOI issue.
Q: Do you believe that the medium of instruction issue has created vertical divide between Hindus and Christians, in the Goan society? And if yes, then does the BBSM expect any support for its agitation from South Goa?
The BBSM agitation has already received good support from South Goa. In fact, we have launched the agitation and built up the required structure in altogether 38 out of 40 electoral constituencies in the state, except in Benaulim and at Nuvem, both in South Goa. If you speak about the divide, then I would say that the government is responsible for this divide, which has taken place by way of its MOI decision. The thinking process of the government while deciding about the grants for over 100 English primary schools was clearly based on the religious ground, rather than following a linguistic approach. You would start believing in this statement, when you will learn that the government is giving grants to those English primary schools run by the Church, while remaining 139 such schools are receiving no grants from the government. So as you see, the government decision is a clear case of discrimination on the basis of religion. I can confidently say that the government and not the BBSM, is responsible for creating this divide in the Goan society.
Q: The BBSM has stated that it would back a political party during the forthcoming assembly polls, which would support grants to only those primary schools conducting education in either Konkani or Marathi as the medium of instruction. Does such a political party exist? Or are you still in search of such a political outfit?
As the things stand today, the tenure of the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Goa is now limited to 10 months, while the BBSM had started its agitation when there was still one-and-a-half year remaining for the government to step down from power. However, at no point of time the BJP government officially took notice of our agitation. Nevertheless, the BBSM is still optimistic because the Congress party, whose government had actually decided to give grants to over 100 English primary schools, was kept away from power, and the BJP elected to rule the state on the basis of its assurance to withdraw these grants. It is however not too late as the BJP government can still salvage the situation by withdrawing these grants. In fact, the BBSM agitation is our effort to pressurise the government. Frankly speaking, we need not have pressurised the BJP government, as the BJP itself was demanding withdrawal of these grants, before it came to power. It’s really unfortunate! The BBSM has also issued a warning to the BJP government to solve the MOI imbroglio through withdrawal of grants by October 2, 2016, or it would be forced to find a political option. As of now, we are not against the BJP, and waiting for its government to fulfil our demand.
Q: The Bharatiya Janata Party-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh relationship is presently strained over the MOI issue. There is also talk about the return of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to Goan politics. Do you foresee that his return would be helpful in not only solving the MOI issue, but also ironing out the BJP-RSS differences?
The RSS-BJP relationship in Goa is not strained as is generally perceived all around. There is however differences between the BJP and the BBSM over a single issue of giving government grants to some English primary schools in the state. Barring this issue, there exist no differences, no strained relationship, no conceptual tussle between the two. And solution to the lone problem can be provided by Manohar Parrikar as much as by Laxmikant Parsekar. There is only need for a will to do so.
Q: Do you feel that the government is facing genuine administrative as well as technical difficulties in withdrawing grants to over 100 English primary schools, which includes the parents of the respective students having to pay the school fees, absence of adequate teaching workforce in case the schools revert to Konkani medium and so on?
There are neither any technical difficulties, nor administrative difficulties before the government in doing so. A number of solutions have already been suggested to the government vis-à-vis withdrawal of government grants to these English primary schools. We have also spoken about various related alternatives to Manohar Parrikar. In fact, the Diocesan Society on two occasions in the past had made overnight changes in the medium of instruction for their primary schools. Once in 1990, the Diocesan Society switched the medium of instruction of its primary schools to Konkani to avail the government grants, and then in 2011, it again reverted to English as the medium of instruction, following the decision of the Digambar Kamat government to continue government grants to these schools, even after the shift. The shift, on both the occasions, should have taken place in a phase-wise manner that is during the first year, class I undergoing change in the medium of instruction, and so on. However, all rules were flouted, as the overnight change took place. Therefore, today these schools should have no problem in once again undergoing yet another overnight change. Nevertheless, with a humanitarian view, the BBSM has requested the government to initiate a change in the medium of instruction of these schools, in a phase-wise manner, over a period of four years. We absolutely have no problem, if these schools agree for phase-wise change in the medium of instruction for their schools.
Q: Are you happy the way support is being mobilised for the BBSM agitation from all quarters?
We are very happy the way support is forthcoming for our agitation. Many MLAs of the BJP will also extend their support for our agitation in the near future, as they are realising the implications of the issue.
Q: Finally, has the RSS headquarters discussed this issue with you?
If the incidents taking place at the grassroots level are of national interest then the RSS higher-ups definitely take note of the same. We are also in constant contact with them over such issues, as they are concerned. Furthermore, we send reports to them, they inquire in case of a query or latest developments and so on.