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Why don’t Goa’s ministers have the guts to quit in support of English? SUJAY GUPTA It’s a sham played out in the corridors of power and on the streets. All of Goa’s ministers who pretended that they stood for the medium of choice and by extension supported the genuine demand of parents to have English ALSO as a medium of instruction at the primary level, have gone down under. The Digambar Kamat Government, far from understanding that issue is as simple as including English as one of the mediums of instruction without affecting Konkani and Marathi, is running scared of even facing the issue. Inspite of the Education Minister telling the Chief Minister that it is pragmatic to consider the demand because nothing is being taken away from the any of the “mother” languages Konkani and Marathi, Mr Kamat fears a loss of Hindu votes, if the demand is conceded. Mr Kamat, should stop insulting not just Hindus but the intelligence of parents all over Goa who clearly do not link language with religion. Which parent in Pernem, Valpoi or Sanguem will switch votes from him to another party if he merely adds the language of aspiration, choice and future to be taught to their children? The only votes he will lose are of fly by night rejected leaders like Sashikala Kakodkar and her Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch cronies including Nagesh Karmali, of the signboard vandalizing fame. Meanwhile, where are the ministers and senior partymen who went to their constituents, especially in Salcete saying that they were with the parents? Their resignation letters should have come out by now, their cars with red beacons surrendered and their official frills sacrificed. They are needed on the streets because their Chief Minister and Government have failed the people on a demand so genuine and so simple. Why has Power Minister Alexio Sequeira not quit? Why has Deputy Speaker Mauvin Godinho not quit? Why has PWD Minister Churchill or his brother Joaquim Alemao, the Urban Development minister not quit? Why has Water Resources Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues not quit? And most importantly why has Babush Monserrate not quit when he has attacked the Government on flimsier grounds in the past? Yes, there is a divide. Not all ministers support this. But not a single one of them have the genuine interests of parents at heart. The anti-English lot has no love for the “mother” tongue or the regional language. They are hanging on to a skewed perception of what reality is. MGP’s Sudhin Dhavlikar has threatened to move out of the coalition. That is giving Mr Kamat sleepless nights. So this issue will obviously decide on the vote getting or losing factor. Not surprising. The people of Moti Dongor get an audience anytime because their votes tilt the balance in the Chief Minister’s favour. But a group of concerned parents staging a protest in front of his house did not get a glance even though the Chief Minister was in Margao then and even got back to his house while the protesters were there. If that is the way this game is played, then dear parents of Goa, play it that way. Take your Ministers and MLAs to task for not standing by you. Make them accountable for their broken promises. Reject them en masse. It is only the genuine fear of losing votes which will make them sit up. Forget expecting genuine concerns from them. You won’t get any. But if you need to hit them where it hurts do so. Your demands are honest, they don’t go against anyone, they are not at the cost of anyone else’s interests and above all they are for your children. So if this agitation needs to be won by accepting the lowest common denominator of putting the pressure of votes, do so. Remember the ideal situation would be for the two sides to sit together, communicate, listen to reason. But that ideal state will not be possible, because politicians will not let it happen. After all the head of BBSM is a former Chief Minister whose nostalgic lust for power hasn’t faded after all these years. -- DEV BOREM KORUM Gabe Menezes.
