BBSM leader Arvind Bhatikar seen addressing the BBSM 'Melava' in Margao on Sunday. Also seen (from l to r) Dilip Naik, Ratnakar Lele, Uday Bhembre and Deep Karapurkar.Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Leaders of Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) at a 'Melava' organised in Margao in the run-up to their planned public meet, vowed to continue with their agitation until their demands are met by the government.
While Uday Bhembre's argument at this meet revolved around his reference to two influences in Goa - de-culturisation and de-nationalisation, Arvind Bhatikar reiterated BBSM's main demands - stop to government grants to church-aided schools imparting primary education in English as the medium of instruction and scrapping the Bill which turns this into an Act.
Bhembre cited examples of de-nationalisation as opposition to Defence Expo, demand for ejecting Navy out of Dabolim and the demand for return of land under the possession of the Defence establishment.
He also criticised Fatorda MLA for having charged the BBSM with indulging in politics. “BBSM does not want to contest elections,” he said.
Attempting to take a dig at the Fatorda MLA, Bhembre said: “We are not forming the Third Front.” However, Bhembre added a rider thus: “We will have to indulge in politics to defeat those who are against BBSM.”
Bhembre also claimed that the church leaders of today are no different from political leaders and cited an example to support his claim.
Giving a clarion call for the preservation of Indian culture, Bhembre urged the people to guard against the forces of de-culturisation and de-nationalisation.
“Identify the feelings of the people, fulfill your promises or else the stir will continue,” Bhembre warned the government, while claiming that the BJP government's MoI policy was just a minor improvement over the previous Kamat government's policy.
Earlier, Arvind Bhatikar reiterated BBSM's basic philosophy of imparting primary education in mother tongue, even as he claimed that Marathi schools will shut down rapidly and Konkani schools will not flower in case the government's present policy continues. “In such a case, within 15 years, Konkani and Marathi culture will be wiped off from Goa,” he added.
He urged the government to do a re-think on the Bill and scrap it.
Others who addressed the Melava included Dilip Naik, Ratnakar Lele and Avadhut Kamat.
