Govt decision to form panel on MoI a move to buy time: BBSM

Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) today termed as a "time bargaining technique", the Laxmikant Parsekar-led government's announcement of formation of an advisory committee to decide on the issue of Medium of Instruction (MOI) in primary schools in Goa.
"We have absolutely no trust on the BJP-led government as far as this issue is concerned. In the past, they had formed a similar committee, which favoured mother-tongue as MOI and stopping of grants to English medium schools. But the then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar did not pay any heed to the recommendations," BBSM convenor and RSS Goa Chief Subhash Velingkar told PTI today.

He recalled that the advisory council then formed by Parrikar had received 2,000 suggestions from various educational institutes, of which 1,600 had favoured mother tongue as MOI.
"Moreover, out of the 220 educational experts, 179 had opined that the elementary education should be in mother-tongue. Parrikar ignored the entire suggestions and report of the Advisory Council," Velingkar said.
The BBSM leader said the chief minister's announcement yesterday to form Advisory Committee and seek report within four months is a technique to "bargain time".
"In the last one year, the Parsekar government has been mocking BBSM's agitation. Now suddenly, the Chief Minister has woken up and decided to provide a solution through advisory committee.

"Why do you require any advisory committee to decide on the universal concept that elementary education should be in mother-tongue?" he asked.
Velingkar said the BBSM will continue their agitation in the aggressive way in future.
Yesterday, Parsekar had announced formation of Advisory Committee headed by Educationist Bhaskar Nayak to decide on the MOI issue.