This isn't an issue of Digubab! Please don't reduce everything to Digu, because however bad the man is, the story of Goa's politics is that of lobbies which predate him and will out-live him!
This is a story of how English education was blocked for 20 years at the primary level. It also parallels the attempt to extinguish Romi Konkani in Goa. Such attempts are very unfair, and have long-term implications, as seen in the case of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon). If it was only a question of granting funds, why were even non-funded English primary schools blocked? There are multiple agendas here, as I see it -- (i) an attempt to push certain dialects and a script of Konkani at the cost of others (ii) an attempt to promote certain schools -- including those which politicians have a stake in, a few State-run schools (including Bal Bhavan) and affluent private education -- at the cost of others (iii) political, vote-bank and communal games. In Goa (and with the diaspora too), the problem is that everyone first looks at who will be affected, then takes a stand, and finally goes about finding the "evidence" to justify it! FN On 6 July 2011 13:53, anil desai <[email protected]> wrote: > Frederick Noronha has answered the question that Santosh raised and I agree > with Frederick's post entirely. I just wish this whole issue was handled > differently by Digubab. If there is enough money in the coffers, I for one > would support even Persian and Arabic to be taught in our primary schools. >
