RSS scuttles BJP’s Catholic reach in Goa

The Forum for Rights of Children to Education supports English, the RSS-led group prefers vernacular languages.

Panaji:  BJP leaders in Goa on Wednesday said RSS leader Subhash Velingkar's remarks on step-motherly treatment of regional languages were unfortunate and questioned his "sense of balance".

South Goa's BJP MP and party spokesperson Narendra Savoikar told media persons here that Velingkar had crossed all limits by hurling hurtful accusations and even calling Manohar Parrikar, former Goa chief minister and presently the defence minister, and the Bharatiya Janata Party as "liars".

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday as the convenor of the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM), Veingkar slammed the BJP and Parrikar. He accused the BJP-led coalition government of cheating the electorate by going back on the promise of using regional languages as medium of instruction.

The Forum for Rights of Children to Education backed by the influential Roman Catholic Church and the BBSM, supported by the RSS, have been at loggerheads in Goa over the choice of language of instruction in junior schools. While the former supports English, the RSS-led group prefers vernacular languages.

The BJP which won the 2012 state assembly elections, thanks to a strategic alliance with leaders of the Catholic community – Roman Catholics account for nearly 26 percent of the state population – is now caught between promises the party made to the minority community and the BBSM over the issue of medium of instruction.

BBSM wants primary schools using English as a medium of instruction be rejected financial grants from the state education ministry.

After coming to power, the Manohar Parrikar-led BJP government via an ad hoc decision in 2012, had decided to give grants only minority institutions that are using English as a medium of instruction, with new schools being denied the privilege.

"The kind of accusations made by Velingkar, a top Sangh leader, that the BJP is a liar, that the party has cheated people and his comments about the defence minister, are sad and unfortunate. We did not expect this from him," Savoikar said yesterday.

The state BJP president Vinay Tendulkar was present while Savoikar addressed the media.

"There is a system within the (sangh) parivar to resolve a dispute. We expect the head of the system also use the same mechanism. But it appears that the man at the helm may be losing his sense of balance," Savoikar said, daring Velingkar to quit as Goa's Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief and join active politics.

Source: financial express