Imposing medium and stopping grants is not legal: Justice Khandeparkar
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 22 January 2016 22:07 IST
Justice R M S Khandeparkar, the retired judge of High Court, today gave a different dimension to the Medium of Instruction issue, stating that withdrawing salary grants to the schools is not legal.
He also said no other person than the parents have any right to decide which medium their child should study in.
He said it in front of the large gathering of Konkani lovers, gathered in Panaji for the 30th session of All India Konkani Parishad, including the BBSM leaders Uday Bhembre and Aravind Bhatikar.
Speaking as the guest of honour at the inaugural function, Justice Khandeparkar appealed to the Konkani lovers to think about both these aspects before participating in the ongoing agitation.
Though these statements supported the position Goa government is taking on MoI issue, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, the chief guest of the function, did not utter a single word in this regard while speaking later.
While stating that he is least interested in the Shigmo of MoI, Justice Khandeparkar made the legal position clear about the ongoing controversy.
The Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch is demanding that the government should withdraw salary grants to over 130 Church-run English medium primary schools and the state government should give grants only to the Konkani or Marathi medium schools.
“If any profession is dependent upon the government assistance, then it is not proper to suddenly stop such assistance and it would also not get legal support”, said the learned judge.
Taking a dig at the section of media and the politicians, he also cautioned the Konkani activists to be alert from the elements who are misusing their positions to create panic in the society by misguiding the people and spoiling the social environment.
“We cannot misuse the freedom of expression and spoil the social environment. We need to be cautious that our thoughts do not make adverse impact on the people and spoil the environment in our country”, he said.
While some political elements are involved in such harmful acts, Justice Khandeparkar said a section of media is colluding with them in spreading such evil thoughts.
“Time has come to test morality, truthfulness and sincerity of such people and the media”, he said bluntly.
The retired judge also broached the script issue, asking in what manner Devanagari would be affected if people continue writing Konkani in other scripts.
While stating that Devanagari has to be ultimately promoted as the true Indian script of Konkani, he felt multiple scripts should be looked upon as a specialty of Konkani rather than objecting to it.
Stating that Konkani is the official language of Goa, he said it is the responsibility of the government to start a Konkani daily in Devanagari script since Sunaparant has closed down.
He also appealed to the Parishad to widen its canvas beyond language and culture and work towards overall development of Konkani community, which is spread out all over the world.
He spoke like a politician
To please the audience in front of him.
Oscar Rebello, after a long time you have spoken something rational and that making sense. Keep up the good work.
Let us not be confused. Justice Khandeparkar is not in chair now. He is former justice. What he has said are his personal views and opinion and not judgement. He has right to his views.
Justice Khandeparkar have given his good opinion on Konkani and various scripts can be used to impart its knowledge.
BBSM must sit down and study their wrong doings and destroying peace and harmony in Goa and Goans.
The future of our children must not be destroyed with such evil thougts and ppl behind the idea must be tested for mental health.
Khandeparkar may be legally correct .but bbsm is fighting to save Indian languages. It's a fight for our religion n culture. Not a single state except nagaland is giving d grants to English. We all agree that it's d right of d parents to choose medium. Parents can send their children to any medium school but what v r saying is that don't ask grants for d English medium as English is a foreign language. If you want English medium pay for it. What Khandeparkar has said does not make sense. We should not get carried away by what he has said just because he is a judge. His views r like d views of d leaders of force. Personally speaking I didn't like his views .
Justice Khandeparkar has spoken his heart out in front of Konkani people who have gathered for Konkani Parishad from all parts of India. With his enlightening speech he blasted away the so called leaders of BBSM and put a big lock on their mouth and went away with style.
Now that the learned, erudite and inspired judge Justice Khandeparker, has spoken his liberal mind, on the sensitive issue would the BBSM and FORCE now retreat to the barracks??
Can they now please,please get off the streets, and return to the negotiating table , and chalk out strategies, to ensure quality education for all our kids and the growth and blooming of Konkani in all it's wonder and glory??
We as a people need to focus on issues closer to our survival, issues of governance, garbage , sanitation, health ,'the environment and of course the all pervading monster of corruption.
We require to expend our energies on these issues, no matter what language we speak or script we write in
For your timely and profound words of wisdom, Thank You, your honour!!!
I fully endorse & agree with the view expressed by learned ex justice R M S. Khandeparkar.he has aptly said factual situation and vested interest & press should not agrrevate the situation & make issue unnessarily.