Dear Selma, Congratulations for an article which is well thought out and which is spot on regarding the vexing Medium of Instruction imbroglio which is tearing Goa apart.
Forget Anna Hazare, forget the Monster Rat, what has been occupying the minds of the 'aam aadmi' parent has been the issue of the Government policy on the Medium of Instruction. The situation is distressing. The aam aadmi naturally wants the best for his or her child's future and wants to provide the child what he was deprived of. You have rightly pointed out that the elite in Goa, the legislators, the smugglers and the builders can afford to send their children to Sharada Mandir, Manovikas and a few hundred primary schools dishing out the English medium that have mushroomed over night in Amchem Bhangarachem Goyem. Some of these neo- primaries often lack basic amenities and are housed in premises which are totally unsuitable, but when the demand is there, there will always be a supplier and most important, a client. This case for English as a Medium of Instruction is compounded by the fact that new self styled 'English academies' have also sprung up to accommodate foreigh students. Some of these academies are merely cashing on the demand from foreign students to learn English. Presumably these foreign students have studied in their own mother tongues. They have realized the importance of English for getting on in life. Would that these diehards who are hell bent on imposing the tyranny of the masses learn not to bully a Government into submission on this very vital and important issue because of sentiment and emotion. (Sigh) Wishful thinking. And life rolls on.............. -- Tony de Sa. tonydesa at gmail dot com ^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v