Agasaim: Opposition to casinos and marinas in River Zuari and the Medium of Instruction (MOI) issue were deliberated at a special meeting called by the sarpanch of Agasaim panchayat.
Throwing light on the MOI issue, the parish priest of St Lawrence church, Agasaim, Fr Johnsie Colaco said that the concern of the majority of parents is the future of their children. He said that the medium of instruction should be in English as it would benefit the children in the long run.
Fr Colaco said that till date there has been no change in the MOI policy with the successive governments. He recalled that in the month of August parents came on the streets and despite various representations, there was no end result.
“As Goans, we are spread across the globe to earn our livelihood and if MOI is in English, then our children will be able to make their future through secured jobs,” Fr Colaco reminded. He said that for the past three and half years the policy is with select committee and it needs to be made either a bill or an Act.
The parish priest said that MOI in English should be not only for the corporate and the rich people, but the poor should also enjoy its benefit, reported Goacom.
“Nobody is against the Indian languages. Everyone favors mother tongue Konkani and Hindi and Konkani is already there as compulsory subjects. But the parents’ concern is that their children should enjoy benefits after gaining knowledge,” he said.
Fr Colaco said that it was disheartening to note that local MLA Vishnu Surya Wagh was against the people’s movement for English. He said that the people’s representative spoke against the church and schools when he should have been with the people.
He said that in most of the village schools majority of the students are non-Catholics. And citing example of the village school, he said, out of 400 students, around 260 are non-Catholics. As promised, he hoped that the bill would be passed as in the forthcoming winter session of the assembly for the benefit of children.
The president of Bharat Mukhti Morcha, Goa unit, Maggie Silveira deliberated on the ill effects of casinos and marinas. Criticizing Nitin Gadkari’s ‘irresponsible’ statement of installing marinas in River Zuari, she said, he had no knowledge of the problems of the fishermen.
If casinos step in, Silveira said, that there would be umpteen ships anchored in the river, thus destroying the natural beauty. She said that gambling and prostitution would prosper and the future of youth would be destroyed.
Silveira said that with the presence of marinas, traditional fishermen would be affected and “we will be deprived of fresh fish.”
“We will have to depend on fish coming from big trawlers and stored in cold storage,” she added.
She said that such problems need to be taken up at the gram sabhas and opposed unanimously.
Convener of Bharat Mukhti Morcha, Sebastian Rodrigues, member of Santa Cruz panchayat, Sanjay Pereira, Agasaim Sarpanch James Afonso, Adv Esperidao Dias do Rosario, Anthony Rodrigues and Succorina Rodrigues also spoke on the occasion.