MoI Decision Good But We Need To Be Vigilant The decision on the MoI is taken and I have to agree with a lot of people that the Chief Minister as also the Education Minister has proved, his credentials as an astute politician who wants to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Goans had done the right thing by giving him the mandate at the last election.
The present government is yet to be 100 days old and we have already seen a sea of change in attitude as well as willingness to comply with the promises made in their election manifesto. It is indeed a pleasant change compared to the morose and morbid functioning of the erstwhile Congress government which was bereft of any constructive ideologies or agendas. In a democracy it is never possible to please one and all at the same time; there is bound to be healthy or even unhealthy opposition from at least some quarters of the public domain and Manohar Parrikar's MoI policy has certainly had those assorted opinions and reactions, but whatever analysis come forth, after the dissection of this MoI policy by the so called experts, it has certainly put a smile on the faces of a majority of Goans and that is what the elected government is suppose to do, make the people happy. Even though I had my reservations, I hoped that Manohar Parrikar would not go back to his old outdated ideologies and so far that hope is slowly but surely turning into a reality. Education should never become a tool for the privileged but a resource within the grasp of all humanity. Education is not something that should be bought and sold on the counters in premises or institutions; it should be imparted without any distinction or biases so that every citizen has the same right as the other to avail of the right to freedom of choice provided by the Constitution. I am sure most parents and their children studying in all English medium schools and those that changed to English medium in the last academic year are happy as they all got their wish done but there is still a major flaw in the policy, what happens to those schools that wanted to move to English medium but because of grants stayed with a regional medium of instruction ? Should they not be given a chance to choose their medium of instruction ? Why should they get the wrong end of the stick ? All said and done Manohar Parrikar deserves applause for the way he handled the MoI issue even with some very high profile supporters of the regional language MoI in his cabinet, it is this control at the helm of authority in Goa that Goans were longing to see after more than a decade of infighting and washing dirty linen in public by the ideologically bankrupt Congress. He has not just killed two birds with one sling shot but several. The fuel prices have been reduced, the MoI issue is settled, the mining policy is in motion, so too the RP which Parrikar has promised within the next three months and till then the protection of eco sensitive zones has been assured. Now what Goa really needs is a Lokayukta that will bring every Goan Political Babu and bureaucrat under its ambit, so that no one stays above accountability, they should all be put on a tight leash especially with regards to illegal mining and corruption. We all are aware that there are a lot of other issues that need to be taken up on priority basis and this looks to be just the start that was needed in Goa to get the ball rolling. Even as I say well done Manohar Parrikar, I would like to caution my fellow Goans not to get carried away or blinded by a few good things thrown our way but we should be vigilant at all times and be ready to take a stand if and when Manohar Parrikar and his government may tend to veer away from what's good for Goa and Goans especially the Mopa Airport. We have seen a mistake made by Parrikar on the entry fee to the Casinos, one too many and we could be in trouble again. So stay awake and be vigilant. Freddy Agnelo Fernandes ##################################################################################### The content of this electronic communication is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed and any others who are specifically authorized to receive it. It may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or otherwise placing reliance on the contents of this information is prohibited and may be unlawful in certain legal jurisdictions. If you have received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately by responding to this email and then delete it from your system. #####################################################################################
