Panaji: Ahead of the upcoming Academic year, Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM), a non-political platform demanding medium of instruction status to the mothertongue, has revived its agitation.
BBSM led by former Goa RSS Chief Subhash Velingkar has demanded that the State Education department should not release grant-in-aid to the schools, which are having elementary education in English language.
Velingkar said that the supports of mothertongue will be intensifying their protests forcing the state government to agree to the demand.
The BBSM held protests at Mapusa town in North Goa on Friday.
“The central government has been encouraging education in local languages. Their policy mentions that a state shall have at least one each medical and engineering college in local language,” he said.
Velingkar said that even the Indian Constitution mandates that Grant-in-Aid should not be given to the Primary Schools who are having English as main language.
Referring to the state government’s committee formed by then CM Manohar Parrikar, Velingkar said that the committee on Medium of Instruction issue also found that majority of institutions support local language.
Velingkar said that union minister Smriti Irani had asked Village Panchayats accross India to hold meetings to implement New Education Policy, as such 191 meetings were held in Goa out of which 171 Panchayats decided that Primary education should be in local language and these educational institutions should get grants.
He said that the BBSM has planning its strategy to campaign against the current MLAs, if they don’t force the government to implement the policy making mothertongue as MOI.
BBSM always brings this MOI on the election year only. This is the third in a row I am seeing this agitation on the election year. After election, BBSM never demanded or did agitation for MOI. Since 15 years this same topic with BBSM. First they should stop using English language while writing letters in Computers and sending messages from mobiles. They should walk the talk. First they should stop their children and grand children from learning English.