TEAM HERALD

teamherald@herald-goa.com

PANJIM: The Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM), after a special meet Friday said it welcomed ‘most’ of the government’s decisions on the medium of instruction issue, but objected to portions of the cabinet note that permits grants to schools that had shifted to English last year.

The BBSM however stopped short of condemning the government for its decision. By continuing a decision of the past, the current BJP government was not as guilty as the previous Congress government, it said.

Significantly, the organisation that has taken an aggressive stance opposing grants to English schools, said it would not agitate over the matter.

After a closed door meeting Friday, the first since the Parrikar government announced its decision Monday, BBSM leaders said they would form a committee of experts to study the government’s decision in detail. “We will form the committee in the next ten days. This committee will further ensure that the government sticks to its policy,” Uday Bhembre, spokesman for BBSM told waiting mediapersons.Some 24 people attended the BBSM meet held at Siddharth Bandodkar hall in Panjim Friday evening. The meeting was called to discuss BBSM’s stance after the government announced its decision on the contentious MoI issue.

Addressing the media, Bhembre said the schools which illegally changed their medium of instruction last year, should be punished instead of being rewarded.

“Schools which illegally changed their medium of instruction last year should be punished. However this government’s decision has given them bakshish (tip). There is a contempt petition still pending in the High Court. These schools can face action. We oppose this decision of the government,” he said.

He however said that the rest of the government’s note was fine. “This is the first time that the government of Goa has so clearly put down that the mother tongue is the medium of instruction for the child,” Bhembre said.

They also welcomed the government’s scheme to give a total of Rs 16 lakh to those who want to start Marathi or Konkani medium schools.

They have also sought to work with the PTAs of regional language schools to improve the infrastructure in such schools as they feel the children leave these schools more because of poor infrastructure rather than because they desire English education.

Parrikar makes surprise entry at BBSM meet

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar made a surprise entry at the BBSM meeting, saying he had “to call on them because he was earlier part of them.”

However after emerging from the meeting, Parrikar remained tight lipped at what transpired between him and BBSM members. “I am not here to make them understand anything. I was earlier part of them so I came,” he said.

The BBSM members appeared to be placated by the Chief Minister’s gesture.