Khalap proposes bilingual formula to resolve MoI tangle
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 12 April 2016 21:23 IST
Former union law minister Ramakant Khalap has proposed that a bilingual policy be adopted to resolve the Medium of Instruction issue.
Known to be a staunch Marathi protagonist otherwise, the Congress leader has also supported the view of government grants to all the mediums, at primary level.
The party spokesperson is also planning to apprise state and central leaders with the solution he has worked out to resolve the MoI tangle.
What Khalap proposes is teaching both English and mother tongue or regional language at pre-primary and primary level while making learning of one regional language compulsory at secondary level, where all schools in Goa are English medium.
“This would prepare our youngsters to face challenges of life in any part of the world”, feels Khalap, who is personally fluent in English as well as Konkani, Marathi and Hindi.
According to him, elementary education in mother tongue is a universally honoured age old concept, but importance and acceptability of English world over cannot be ignored.
“With this, the squabble over MoI can thus be eliminated by adopting bilingual policy duly sanctified and guaranteed through a legislative measure”, feels Khalap, who is also known for his fine Parliamentarian innings.
In a cosmopolitan environment, he feels a child has the capacity to pick up more than one language. In fact it's the child's right to absorb as many skills and languages as the child may be exposed to.
He also observes that parents have no right to deny or restrict their wards right to learn more than one languages.
Khalap also advises the Congress and other non-BJP parties to adhere to a realistic, practical and implementable MoI Policy.
“They must realise that overemphasis on English medium runs the risk of alienating the adherents of regional languages and pushing them towards the BJP”, he cautions, giving also a political twist to his proposal.
Commenting on the ongoing verbal feud between BJP and RSS on the issue of MoI, he said he would like to caution the non-BJP political parties not to get carried away by the illusion of rift between the RSS and the BJP.
“The purpose is to polarise the voters and guide the flock ultimately towards the BJP. This illusion of rift however underscores the BJP’s utter disrespect for poll promises which they are accustomed to violate with impunity”, says Khalap.
Why any regional language compulsory at secondary level?Just bcoz khalap feels so! Let that b also optional!