Medium of Instruction (MOI) was a very hot issue going on in Goa. Instead of handling it by great educationists and professionals in the field of education, this issue was handled by Ladru – Pedru type of politicians whose knowledge on education is nothing but minus zero because they themselves are educationally minus zero even though they bark claiming to be well versed in this subject by falsely inflating their educational qualifications. We in Goa suffer because of our leaders’ lack of knowledge of the subjects they handle. Most of our Goan political leaders holding portfolios in the Cabinet are unfit professionally to handle their portfolios because they lack proper knowledge of their portfolios. There is a saying in Konkani 'KHARVEANK NHOI KHUIM GHORVAM ANI RENDRANK NHOI KHUIM TARVAM". This is what is happening in Goa. What is the medical background and education of Jr. Rane to entrust him with the Health portfolio? What is the educational qualification of Babush Musarad to give him the Education portfolio? ‘Kharveank nhoi khuim ghorvam ani Rendrank nhoi khuim Tarvam’. They will make mess of everything and in the bargain innocent people will suffer.
Goa Government does not give grant for English Schools imparting primary education in English but only in regional languages, namely official language Konkani and associate language Marathi. What grant Goa Government gives is not from its own pocket nor from the Ministers’ pockets. The grant Goa Government gives to Schools is not of their "BAPAICHO FATH". The grant Goa Government gives to schools is from the pockets of Goan taxpayers and since it is so, the Goan tax payers have got all the rights to demand grants even for the instruction imparted at primary level in English as well. Awakened by their sense to fight for their rights, thousands of parents of the students studying at primary level in Goan English schools congregated recently at Azad Maidan, Panaji, to demand grants for English schools imparting education at primary level in English as well. They even threatened the Goa Government to defeat it in the next general election. Moreover,some individuals from Anjuna village even filed a petition in the court to force the Goa Government to release grants even to those schools imparting primary education in English also and in all likelihood the court was to give its verdict in favour of English as well.
Sensing the mood of the people demanding grant for English medium as well and the likely favourable court verdict too, Goa Government took a decision to give grant to schools imparting primary education in English as well besides Konkani and Marathi. The moment this decision was declared some Marathi protagonists with some Nagri Konknni elements raised hue and cry against this decision of Goa Government while pro English MOI supporters hailed this decision. Since I was in Goa last week to feel the pulse of both the factions of Goan populace from close angle, overwhelming majority of Goans are happy with the decision of the Goa Government.
Surprisingly some people including those politicians who were earlier opposing grant for English are taking false credit for the latest decision of Goa Government. According to Dr. Wilfred D’Souza who gave a live interview to one TV Channel in Goa, Churchill Alemao got no right to take the credit for this decision of Goa Government because in the past Churchill Alemao and Mauwin Godinho supported Tai Shashikala Kakodkar to deny grant for schools imparting primary education in English as well. Dr. Wilfred said Goa Government was forced to change its stand on this subject by the court case filed by the people from Anjuna and the organisation that came into being to fight against Goa Government for denying grant for English Medium schools. In view of this, Dr. Wilfred D'Souza asked, "where is the question for Churchill Alemao to take credit for himself?"
Now my question is after listening to the TV interview of Dr. Wilfred D'Soza, "Who is fooling whom? Who is lying whom? Are Goans so backward to accept the lying and fooling of the politicians?" It looks like "FEST KORTA GHAUM ANI PE. VIGARACHEM NAUM".
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
June 1, 2011
May 28, 2011
Does this government lack legal eagles to interpret law?
By Nisser Dias
26th May 2011
The government specially some of the Congress legislators, members of the adhoc committee of FORCE and parents are optimistic that their demand for English as one of the medium of instructions (MOI) would be a reality very soon. And rightly so it should be as the demand for it from parents of school going children is genuine.
As we are on the threshold of a new academic year, parents who had beat the scorching sun to show solidarity with the church backed movement of parents irrespective of caste, creed, religion and region are expectantly awaiting the final approval from the Union government. Even though chief minister and his cabinet colleagues have dropped enough hints that centre will grant the demands of the parents, would it not be imperative to ask whether the state government is set to print text books in English or is the ploy of the government to wait at the eleventh hour to carry out the exercise or is it a ploy by the government to postpone inclusion of English as medium of instruction by another year which means buying time till the next assembly elections.
Parents must be reminded that chief minister Digambar Kamat comes from the RSS cadre who in turn strongly advocate instruction at the primary level in mother tongue. One should not forget that as a politician the chief minister might be with the parents for the votes but his heart and soul and ideology is with the RSS. Secondly he has made his thoughts very clear that he does not depend upon the Goan voters for his victory at the election. So can we trust this man to do any positive for the Goa and Goans?
Then there is PWD minister Churchill Alemao who was instrumental in forcing the change from English to Konkani and Marathi way back in 1991 through his splinter group which formed the Progress Democratic Front (PDF) government. Today he is singing a different tune not because he realises the difference between instruction in English or mother tongue but because he has too much at stake. He has to first get himself elected at the same time he has to oversee that the victory of his daughter, his brother and nephew.
This is a clear indication that a opportunist politician like Churchill has not extended his support for English for the love of students or parents but for his own sustenance as he has made politics his livelihood. He does not only earn his butter and jam and more from politics, he earns his daily bread from it. Thus Churchill Alemao had no other option but to support the stand taken by parents. Basically his support for the cause was more for personal reasons then the genuine cause, so a turncoat like him simply cannot take the credit, if at all English is included as MOI.
Be that as it may, the CM taking a delegation of the interested parties to Delhi is not at all accepted. Members of the adhoc committee of FORCE who have been severely criticized for repeatedly extending the deadlines, in its wisdom went to Delhi, maybe in a bid to stop parents spilling on the road. They may have returned empty handed or rather with assurances and hope from the Union government that their wishes will be granted.
But the fact that the government of Goa had to take a delegation to Delhi to find solution to the issue does not speak very well of the Digambar Kamat led government. It is a known fact that the chief minister along with his entourage of ministers and interested parties had to wait on the Human Resources Development minister Kapil Sibal only to interpret the Right To Education Act speaks volume of lack of administration capabilities and political acumen of Digambar Kamat.
Chief minister along with the Education minister Babush Monserrate should have first consulted lawyers here to interpret and explain the RTE Act to them. Our chief minister should not have made a mockery of Goans by waiting on Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal to throw light on the RTE Act. In the words of chief minister himself it is stated that HRD minister told him that RTE does not speak about any language as compulsory medium of instruction. Does state that boast of have 98 percent literacy rate needs the Union minister to interpret the Act. Has our government lost faith in the legal advisers appointed in the departments, has it lost confidence in the law department or has it lost all the trust in the capabilities of the of the office of the controversial advocate general of Goa? The chief minister is morally responsible to give answers to these questions.
After said and done, after dragging the reputation of Goa and Goans through muck the chief minister still awaits the decision of the centre. Atleast at this stage we needed chief minister Digambar Kamat to display some leadership qualitites but he failed us throughout. If Goa is set an example as a model state to the rest of the country, we need able and bold leadership not some weaklings or sissies to run our state, to take decisions on vexed issues in the state and not run to Delhi to decide every matter or issue or controversy, which our chief minister has indicated so often that he is incapable of doing.
If at all English becomes one of the MOI languages, the credits and dues should not go to any politician but to each and every parent including members of the FORCE for being adamant in their demand.
Send your comments/reactions to nisserdias@gmail.com or SMS 9422437029)
(Nisser Dias writes a regular column in GT on Thursday).
26th May 2011
The government specially some of the Congress legislators, members of the adhoc committee of FORCE and parents are optimistic that their demand for English as one of the medium of instructions (MOI) would be a reality very soon. And rightly so it should be as the demand for it from parents of school going children is genuine.
As we are on the threshold of a new academic year, parents who had beat the scorching sun to show solidarity with the church backed movement of parents irrespective of caste, creed, religion and region are expectantly awaiting the final approval from the Union government. Even though chief minister and his cabinet colleagues have dropped enough hints that centre will grant the demands of the parents, would it not be imperative to ask whether the state government is set to print text books in English or is the ploy of the government to wait at the eleventh hour to carry out the exercise or is it a ploy by the government to postpone inclusion of English as medium of instruction by another year which means buying time till the next assembly elections.
Parents must be reminded that chief minister Digambar Kamat comes from the RSS cadre who in turn strongly advocate instruction at the primary level in mother tongue. One should not forget that as a politician the chief minister might be with the parents for the votes but his heart and soul and ideology is with the RSS. Secondly he has made his thoughts very clear that he does not depend upon the Goan voters for his victory at the election. So can we trust this man to do any positive for the Goa and Goans?
Then there is PWD minister Churchill Alemao who was instrumental in forcing the change from English to Konkani and Marathi way back in 1991 through his splinter group which formed the Progress Democratic Front (PDF) government. Today he is singing a different tune not because he realises the difference between instruction in English or mother tongue but because he has too much at stake. He has to first get himself elected at the same time he has to oversee that the victory of his daughter, his brother and nephew.
This is a clear indication that a opportunist politician like Churchill has not extended his support for English for the love of students or parents but for his own sustenance as he has made politics his livelihood. He does not only earn his butter and jam and more from politics, he earns his daily bread from it. Thus Churchill Alemao had no other option but to support the stand taken by parents. Basically his support for the cause was more for personal reasons then the genuine cause, so a turncoat like him simply cannot take the credit, if at all English is included as MOI.
Be that as it may, the CM taking a delegation of the interested parties to Delhi is not at all accepted. Members of the adhoc committee of FORCE who have been severely criticized for repeatedly extending the deadlines, in its wisdom went to Delhi, maybe in a bid to stop parents spilling on the road. They may have returned empty handed or rather with assurances and hope from the Union government that their wishes will be granted.
But the fact that the government of Goa had to take a delegation to Delhi to find solution to the issue does not speak very well of the Digambar Kamat led government. It is a known fact that the chief minister along with his entourage of ministers and interested parties had to wait on the Human Resources Development minister Kapil Sibal only to interpret the Right To Education Act speaks volume of lack of administration capabilities and political acumen of Digambar Kamat.
Chief minister along with the Education minister Babush Monserrate should have first consulted lawyers here to interpret and explain the RTE Act to them. Our chief minister should not have made a mockery of Goans by waiting on Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal to throw light on the RTE Act. In the words of chief minister himself it is stated that HRD minister told him that RTE does not speak about any language as compulsory medium of instruction. Does state that boast of have 98 percent literacy rate needs the Union minister to interpret the Act. Has our government lost faith in the legal advisers appointed in the departments, has it lost confidence in the law department or has it lost all the trust in the capabilities of the of the office of the controversial advocate general of Goa? The chief minister is morally responsible to give answers to these questions.
After said and done, after dragging the reputation of Goa and Goans through muck the chief minister still awaits the decision of the centre. Atleast at this stage we needed chief minister Digambar Kamat to display some leadership qualitites but he failed us throughout. If Goa is set an example as a model state to the rest of the country, we need able and bold leadership not some weaklings or sissies to run our state, to take decisions on vexed issues in the state and not run to Delhi to decide every matter or issue or controversy, which our chief minister has indicated so often that he is incapable of doing.
If at all English becomes one of the MOI languages, the credits and dues should not go to any politician but to each and every parent including members of the FORCE for being adamant in their demand.
Send your comments/reactions to nisserdias@gmail.com or SMS 9422437029)
(Nisser Dias writes a regular column in GT on Thursday).
Is Life In Goa Cheaper Than Liquor ?
“Women are cheaper than liquor in Goa” was what irked a good number of Goans, with respect to the Bollywood movie “Dum Maro Dum” and with some stiff local opposition the director was forced to instill some changes in the derogatory remarks about our Goan women, but now another serious problem has cropped up with regards to the value of life in Goa and it makes me wonder if in fact, life is even cheaper than liquor in Goa.
Roads in Goa have been major contributors to premature deaths and loss of valuable lives through the negligence and apathy of our Miners and Authorities, more often than not the victims are found to be budding youngsters, a few days ago another youngster’s budding life and dreams where shattered by the negligence of the power department, this was not the only incident where the negligence of the authorities
resulted in precious life being wasted prematurely, not too long ago a father son duo were electrocuted and the list could go on and on. Life lost, is lost forever and no matter what is done to compensate the dead person will not come back to life.
Of late the money bags, our Miners have started putting a value to the life of the victim of mining prosperity, I often wonder if they would value their own lives the same. I am not at all shocked to note that a high ranking officer of the law and his deputy performed their dual role of also being the “call on boys” for the mining barons, to perfection. With all their prosperity, it’s sort of becoming a norm to
flash money infront of the poor victim’s dependents in the name of compensation. The speed with which the Miners and their foot soldiers, inspector Tony and his deputy reacted is really amazing, as the lethargy and the apathy of our civil servants for effective action, is well known.
How would the miners and their police friends feel, if someone had to kill their next of kin and pay a compensation of 5 lakhs ? Would it be okay ? With the cost of living hitting the roof, for how long can a family survive and suffice on that amount ? The social status of the victim is irrelevant, what must be made relevant is the fact that life has been wrongfully terminated, all because of the casual attitude of the Miners, Politicians and the Police, if laws were enforced and
enacted the situation would not been appalling, as it is today. Today every politician irrespective of the party has supported illegal and rampant mining which has destroyed our ecology and our environment and brought us to the verge of a catastrophe, all this merely for money and riches.
What action has been taken against the erring miners and the Authorities ? Is it not their responsibility ? The offending Authorities, miners and their henchmen have been let off, without as much as a scratch in the past, which has resulted in a massive movement against mining atrocities on Goans living in hinterland, especially against the tribal community. Now as the mines affected people are gathering enormous and overwhelming support in their fight for survival, the mining barons are pushed against the wall and hence the 5 lakhs compensation at supersonic speed to the victims family and that to through the high ranking civil servants who are forever ready to be of service to the rich and affluent miners.
If a normal Goan is faced with problems the men in uniform will distance themselves as much as possible and infact if the rich and the affluent are involved, more often than not, the victim ends being treated as a criminal, this has been the way of life in Goa for a long time and getting worse by the day. Now with the people’s movement
against rampant and illegal mining activities, the police and the miners think it prudent to outrun and outgun the activists and the agitators with money and muscles power making life in Goa cheaper than liquor.
How many more lives will have to be lost to the erring negligence of our Authorities and miners before we Goans wakeup to find, the one who just lost his budding life, is our very own and accept the check that values the precious life at 5 lakhs, wouldn’t we then feel, that life is cheaper than liquor in Goa ?
Wakeup Goans, our lives are precious and valuable and we have to make sure that the people responsible for negligence, who ever they are, are taken to task and pay dearly so that justice is served.
Freddy Agnelo Fernandes
Roads in Goa have been major contributors to premature deaths and loss of valuable lives through the negligence and apathy of our Miners and Authorities, more often than not the victims are found to be budding youngsters, a few days ago another youngster’s budding life and dreams where shattered by the negligence of the power department, this was not the only incident where the negligence of the authorities
resulted in precious life being wasted prematurely, not too long ago a father son duo were electrocuted and the list could go on and on. Life lost, is lost forever and no matter what is done to compensate the dead person will not come back to life.
Of late the money bags, our Miners have started putting a value to the life of the victim of mining prosperity, I often wonder if they would value their own lives the same. I am not at all shocked to note that a high ranking officer of the law and his deputy performed their dual role of also being the “call on boys” for the mining barons, to perfection. With all their prosperity, it’s sort of becoming a norm to
flash money infront of the poor victim’s dependents in the name of compensation. The speed with which the Miners and their foot soldiers, inspector Tony and his deputy reacted is really amazing, as the lethargy and the apathy of our civil servants for effective action, is well known.
How would the miners and their police friends feel, if someone had to kill their next of kin and pay a compensation of 5 lakhs ? Would it be okay ? With the cost of living hitting the roof, for how long can a family survive and suffice on that amount ? The social status of the victim is irrelevant, what must be made relevant is the fact that life has been wrongfully terminated, all because of the casual attitude of the Miners, Politicians and the Police, if laws were enforced and
enacted the situation would not been appalling, as it is today. Today every politician irrespective of the party has supported illegal and rampant mining which has destroyed our ecology and our environment and brought us to the verge of a catastrophe, all this merely for money and riches.
What action has been taken against the erring miners and the Authorities ? Is it not their responsibility ? The offending Authorities, miners and their henchmen have been let off, without as much as a scratch in the past, which has resulted in a massive movement against mining atrocities on Goans living in hinterland, especially against the tribal community. Now as the mines affected people are gathering enormous and overwhelming support in their fight for survival, the mining barons are pushed against the wall and hence the 5 lakhs compensation at supersonic speed to the victims family and that to through the high ranking civil servants who are forever ready to be of service to the rich and affluent miners.
If a normal Goan is faced with problems the men in uniform will distance themselves as much as possible and infact if the rich and the affluent are involved, more often than not, the victim ends being treated as a criminal, this has been the way of life in Goa for a long time and getting worse by the day. Now with the people’s movement
against rampant and illegal mining activities, the police and the miners think it prudent to outrun and outgun the activists and the agitators with money and muscles power making life in Goa cheaper than liquor.
How many more lives will have to be lost to the erring negligence of our Authorities and miners before we Goans wakeup to find, the one who just lost his budding life, is our very own and accept the check that values the precious life at 5 lakhs, wouldn’t we then feel, that life is cheaper than liquor in Goa ?
Wakeup Goans, our lives are precious and valuable and we have to make sure that the people responsible for negligence, who ever they are, are taken to task and pay dearly so that justice is served.
Freddy Agnelo Fernandes
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