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Goa RSS slams BJP government over school grants
Panaji, Aug 4
Goa RSS chief Subhash Velingkar
on Tuesday issued a stern warning to the BJP-led coalition government in
the state, accusing it of succumbing to pressure from English medium
schools and giving them government grants in violation of a pre-poll
promise.
If the government failed to be firm on the issue of
denying financial grants to English medium schools, the RSS would have
no qualms if the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government fell,
Velingkar said at a press conference organised here by the Bharatiya
Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM).
"We want the government to stand
firm on this; if not, we don't mind if this government falls," the
usually reclusive Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader said.
The
BJP won the 2012 state assembly elections thanks to a strategic
alliance with leaders of the Roman Catholic community, which account for
nearly 26 per cent of the state population.
The party is now
caught between the promises it made to the minority community and the
BBSM over the issue of medium of instruction.
After coming to
power, the Manohar Parrikar-led BJP government through an ad hoc
decision in 2012 decided to give grants only to minority institutions
using English as a medium of instruction. New schools were denied the
privilege, a decision that rankled with the Velingkar-led BBSM.
On
the other hand, the Forum for Rights of Children to Education (FORCE),
an organisation comprising largely of parents of children studying in
Church-run schools and other schools in which English is a medium of
instruction, has been demanding the government pass a law to ensure that
the grants are made permanent.
In all, 127 schools with English as medium of instruction are currently availing of government grants.
Under
pressure after FORCE leader Savio Lopez went on a fast-unto-death over
the demand last week, 11 BJP legislators gave a signed undertaking on
August 3 that the issue would be resolved in the next session of the
state legislative assembly.
Velingkar and BBSM have called this assurance a "dilution" of the commitment to the regional languages by the BJP government.
"The
BJP managed to beat the Congress in the last assembly elections because
of the campaigning and contribution made by the BBSM. We will campaign
against this government if they ignore our demands," said Velingakar,
whose BBSM has been insisting that the financial grants be given only to
schools where medium of instruction is either Konkani or Marathi.