BBSM seeks to emerge as third political alternative in Goa

The Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM), a movement favouring mother tongue as a medium of instruction in Goa, is now seeking to emerge as a political alternative against the Congress and ruling BJP in the state, a party official said.
"We are working on a political alternative and the announcement about it would be made on October 2 this year. The alternative may be in the form of a political party that will contest all the 40 constituencies during upcoming 2017 Goa Assembly polls or support the political outfit which pledges for the cause of mother tongue as Medium of Instruction," BBSM co-ordinator Subhash Velingkar, who also the Goa RSS chief told PTI in an interview.

BBSM has been demanding withdrawal of grants given to English medium schools besides announcement of mother tongue as MOI in Goa.
The outfit which claimed to be an 'apolitical' platform has been holding several public meetings. They had supported BJP during 2012 Goa polls.
"They are taking us for granted but that is their grave mistake. Whether it is Congress or BJP, for us, ideology is most important," he said.
"Since both these parties do not represent our sentiments, BBSM has decided to project itself as the third political alternative. When we will go all out against the BJP, our action would be similar to that of any political platform rivalling it.

"Pre-2012 polls, our fight against erstwhile Congress led government was only based on MOI, but later we widened the scope making it Congress-hatao campaign. Similar steps would be taken against BJP," he said.

In order to build pressure on the Laxmikant Parsekar-led government, BBSM has decided to boycott government functions as a mark of protest.
Velingkar said the state government will act only when they will realise that their prospects to get elected again in the election are dwindling.
"We will not boycott the function as it is an event of
the freedom fighters," he said.
Stating that RSS' ideology is parallel to the stand of BBSM on MOI issue, Velingkar said the Sangh volunteers are bound by the resolutions adopted by RSS during its national executive meeting.

"These resolutions are so much important that various embassies keep a tab on them. RSS resolution in March 2015 has specifically said that primary education across the country should be in mother tongue," he said.
Those states ruled by "like-minded parties" should implement it and where there are no like-minded governments, we have to create conducive situations to enforce it. It is not just RSS ideology, what we have been following is an universal ideology, he said.
Talking about BBSM's tiff with former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, Velingkar said the way he treated the issue in last two years, it amounted to cheating.

"Parrikar promised us that he will withdraw grants given by Congress government to English medium schools at the right time but he cheated on it. Parrikar told us that grants to English medium schools is a temporary phase and final solution would be worked out. We had asked for an appointment with Parrikar and Chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar but both of them did not have time for us," he added.