Mother tongue
For the past one year the BBSM are putting forth their views on MOI at the primary level. Supporters of the English language are misinterpreting their views and trying to add a communal colour to these views. The beneficiaries of the Congress government’s decision of 2011, that is the Diocesan Education Society (DSE) is keeping quiet on this issue.
The government should immediately form an academic authority, propounded under the RTE Act 2009, to decide this issue. Manohar Parrikar had formed an advisory council under his chairmanship on the issue in 2012. However, he kept the report of the council in suspense for reasons best known to him. A report of the authority should be made public within three months and should be binding on both sides.
BBSM has not opposed the English medium at high school and college levels. Members of the BBSM “ Fr Athaide, Uday Bhembre and Arvind Bhatikar, are not members of the RSS or the BJP, so giving the organization and MOI a communal colour is wrong. BBSM has not denied the universality of the English language. Writing again and again on the said fact in newspapers is a waste of time and energy. A child’s grasping power can understand and pick up various topics and concepts taught at pre-primary and primary levels in mother tongue. If the foundation of a child is strong, then this future education can be enjoyable and sound.
Just because parents want their children to study in English medium primary schools, the government should give grants to the schools? By this logic, why should the government make laws to monitor and ban prostitution and dance bars, or matka? Many people want these things to operate openly in society.
If the RSS/BJP is saffronising education, then one can say that the Church and the DSE is Christianising and Westernising education, detaching children from Indian culture and making them materialistic and immoral.
Prof. Melwyn Colaco, Calangute
Change datess
It is indeed good news to note that Sunburn is selling tickets but not mentioning where the event is going to be held. For years now, these EDM festivals were taking advantage of the good nature of Goans and without even having permissions for the events to be held. Then they were causing congestion on the beaches and roads with the crowds coming from Mumbai, Bangalore and other places in India. Many of them were driving down in cars and parking anywhere they wish, which in turn causes a lot of inconvenience to us residents. There is no doubt that these festivals bring in good money to Goa, not just in taxes but also all hotels are full and restaurants make good money. But during Christmas and New Year there is already a lot of crowd in the State. Why are we adding more? If the festivals can always attract crowds then let them hold it in the first week of December or in January near Republic Day, which is a long weekend. They can draw crowds then also.
Robert D’Souza, Calangute
