Goa CM faces anti-English ireIndia Blooms News Service
Panaji, June 24 (IBNS): Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat was greeted with protests at two public functions in the capital on Friday over his decision of approving English as the Medium of Instruction (MOI). The supporters of regional languages staged protests on the streets and within the premises where the two functions were held at Kala Academy and National Institute of Oceanography (NIO). About 15 activists from the Bhartiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) were whisked away by the police as preventive arrests in the Kala Academy for attempting to disrupt a healthcare function in which Kamat was the chief guest. Similarly, the chief minister was scorned by the protesters which also had Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar shouting anti-government slogans. The police however thwarted attempts by the agitators to mob the chief minister as nearly 200 armed policemen cordoned off the protest area. In the morning, Parrikar and supporters of regional languages besieged the Panjim police station demanding that those detained 'be respectfully released’. The drama lasted for about three hours till the north Goa superintendent of police Arvind Gawas and deputy superintendent of police Deu Benaulikar personally came there and released them. While in the evening, the protestors were stopped outside the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) where a sports function was organized to felicitate Goa’s swimming icon Talasha Prabhu. Parrikar entered the venue but returned back to the crowd as the chief minister was yet to arrive for the event. The protesters are holding protests at public events in which chief minister Digambar Kamat is present. State cabinet on May 25 approved English as the MOI along with Konkani and Marathi languages. The decision sparked anger among the anti-English lobby with warnings to pull down the government in the forthcoming assembly elections. (Reporting by John Edwards) http://www.indiablooms.com/NewsDetailsPage/newsDetails240611u.php COMMENT: It seems obvious, turning up uninvited and barging into functions is par for the course in Goa. This is not an exclusivity of Goans we have this happening here on occassions. -- DEV BOREM KORUM Gabe Menezes.
