Young brigade demands debate before cabinet decision on MoI
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 05 June 2012 23:25 IST
“Mr Digambar Kamat Get Well Soon”, the young brigade formed through Facebook Group to oppose grants to English medium primary schools, has demanded a debate before taking a cabinet decision on the proposed policy of chief minister Manohar Parrikar.
The group has also outrightly rejected the provision of giving salary grants to ‘selected’ schools, which disobeyed the court and shifted to English medium from Konkani (the Church-run 105 schools).
The young brigade has also demanded a public explanation from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, which is part of the coalition government and was also part of the agitation.
The group has also come down heavily on their leader and St Andre BJP MLA Vishnu Wagh for maintaining mysterious silence on the issue. (He was present at the press conference addressed by Parrikar, spelling out the MoI policy).
A press note issued by Yugank Naik states as under:
The members of Mr. Digambar Kamat, get well soon FB group met today to discuss the MoI decision that was communicated to the general public yesterday. After deliberations, the members agreed that Proposed Decision on the Medium of Instruction is inherently flawed and contradictory to itself.
The document circulated is a “Proposed Decision for the Cabinet”. As such, if it is only a proposed decision, then there has to be a debate on the proposals.
Each point, every proposal should be discussed threadbare to understand the full implications and consequences of the proposals.
Hence, we demand a debate on the said proposals before taking a final decision.
It is evident from the proposed decision document, that while superficially voicing that the medium of instruction shall be the mother tongue; the Chief Minister has allowed ‘selected’ schools to convert to English medium thereby undermining his own assertion that the medium of instruction at the primary level will be Konkani or Marathi.
It is akin to giving back door entry to English while shouting hoarse that Medium of Instruction shall be the mother tongue.
What this decision effectively does is that it rewards the schools who have wilfully disobeyed court orders and have shown no regard for the law. Instead of punishing law breakers, the Government goes all out and bends backwards to appease them and rewards them with grants.
The schools that have violated court orders and converted to English last year are allowed to continue in English while schools that reverted back to Konkani after the High Court blocked the circular are punished by not giving them the option to convert.
The CM Manohar Parrikar has given the message that law breakers would be rewarded and law abiders will be punished. Is this the justice and policy that we expect from our government?
MGP had in fact, made this very issue pivotal in their election campaign. They were firm in their assertion that grants cannot be given to English medium primary schools.
Now with the CM giving grants to English primary schools, what would be the stand of MGP who are a part of this very government? Would they stand up and oppose the provisions or be a mute spectator and a partner and accomplice in this decision?
We hereby ask the MGP to make their stand clear.
We also wish to remind the BJP MLA from St. Andre, Vishnu Wagh that he was a prominent leader of the youth movement on this issue and has given many a fiery speech while roasting the previous CM, Digambar Kamat for extending grants to English medium primary schools. He had vehemently opposed Digambar Kamat’s formula of choice for converting regional language schools to English.
Now the current CM has gone one step further by converting all the Konkani schools under Diocesan to English without even giving them a choice. Vishnu Wagh had resigned from all posts in the previous government in protest of the MoI policy. The current MoI decision of the CM, in fact seems effectively, to be a logical continuation of the previous policy of the Congress government.
In this scenario, we wish to ask our own leader, the BJP MLA of St. Andre and the Chairman of Kala Academy, Vishnu Wagh, “Sir, what is your stand now? Would you oppose this with the same intensity and conviction? Or would you even stand up and oppose at all? It does not befit a person of your stature, principles and conviction to be a mute spectator as the CM doles out grants and allows conversion of Konkani primary schools to English?”
We bear no allegiance to any political thought blindly. We had come on the streets on the principle that grants should not be extended to English medium primary schools and no regional language schools should be allowed to convert to English and still continue to get grants. We still stand by our conviction.
Government has changed, the Chief Minster has changed, but the issue still remains and we still stand firm. Hence, while we welcome that Medium of Instruction would be the regional languages; we reject the provision that rewards schools which have wilfully disobeyed court orders and have been held in contempt by the court.
It is time for the young to teach the old a lesson or two. It is great to know that the young have risen to the occassion.
samir
The Facebook Group, "Mr Digambar Kamat get well soon" seem to propose and deludedly fight, for "Ethnic Language " cleansing.
Their arrows are aimed at English.
Ethnic cleansing, of whatever type or genre, has never been successful anywhere in the world.
Hitler failed at it and so did Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia and several African Dictators too.
Hitler called his movement for "Fatherland".The Facebook group call theirs " for Mother tongue".
Now is their mother tongue Marati or Konkani?
I guess it depends which way ,the wind blows.
Student Movements work in some instances.However this Facebook Movement is unlikely to succeed as it does not have the support of All Goans.
only....fey people want marathi.n konkani....to be moi...... n rest of them want english....to be moi.......n people who wants marathi creats problem.......empty vessel..........jai english ....jai konkani.......marathi...boooo....bcoz i dnt understand dat language....srry to say ....marathi in maharastra....nt in goa................
i lik the decision.....wht mr. parrikar has taken on moi issue...........gr8t job
Yugank Naik ,seemingly a hot-head,in his press interviews & TV appearances seems like a teenager.
Mr Yugank Naik can continue with his "DEBATES",until Kingdom come.However Students & parents in the current academic year should not suffer.
As he has no kids, he will not suffer directly.He may not even understand the depth of a parents responsibilities.
For Mr Yugank to believe that what every parent wants & must have ,is what he wants & has , is a misnomer.
What is the problem with you all I thing the CM made the right Decision On the MOI you'll only know to make noise for Nothing with some few heads. you thing you guys have the Majority.Lets not keep on shouting regarding MOI,Just have the Election on MoI and see who wins.I thing the more people will stand for English
Hi Samir Kelekar , Bangalore::::
The Facebook action group does not represent all sections of Society.They certainly do not represent a Progressive Society either.THey are happy to remain stagnant & regressive.
They are purely "dogmatic" in the the small & closed world of language priorities,they are happy to live in.
The Portuguese ruled Goa for 450 years.The British ruled India for a substantial number of years.But Marati & Konkani are still widely used & spoken.I wonder why?
So should there new be a Facebook Action group called "Welcome back Britian" or "Welcome back Portugal"...and long live Cricket and Long live Football.