WHAT IS HOLDING BACK "FORCE" FROM ACTING IMMEDIATELY? by Ashley Fernandes, Margao

What are they waiting for?

This has reference to the report on the huge public meeting held at the Lohia Maidan by parents “pressing for the English language as a choice for the medium of instruction”. Whilst the intention of this forum has been good to begin with, their follow up act lacks the intensity, primarily due to absence of an action plan, which is found wanting. To spark a reaction, you require action. Hence “WELL BEGUN IS HALF DONE”.

It appears that the members of FORCE lack an action plan to spark a reaction. Friends, being a firm supporter of this movement, and with the experience of being part of a parent body tackling a different issue, I sincerely feel that the need of the hour is immediate action , rather than long term plans. Long term plans like boycotting schools, assembly elections, though good, can also prove to be sure shot buyers of time, where the intensity dies out and we are back to square one. I am also a firm believer that neither politicians nor aspiring politicians should be actively allowed to participate in this movement, which is for the people, by the people and of the people of Goa.

FORCE, which comprises of parents as well as certain officials of the A.B.E. are surprisingly dragging their feet on the issue, by holding meetings at various venues, with similar speeches blurted out and thousands clapping. Friends the success of a movement is not about how many attended and how many hands clapped, it’s about action. You cannot have an action plan and not share it with the parents at the meeting as has been done by Savio Lopes. The office bearers of FORCE need to know, that they are representing each and every Goan fighting for this cause and they are bound to use these meetings to spell out plans and not keep them within.

Do the stalwarts in FORCE have an answer to the following?

What action was taken by FORCE, when the government of Goa failed to meet with the deadline of the 25th March 2011? A lot was said at the first meeting too, nothing happened.

What action was taken when the government announced that it was “maintaining a status quo on medium of instruction in Primary Schools? What’s happened to all that was said?

Were the Margao schools represented by speaker parents from the schools? Margao parents would know better, what is happening in Margao, so why were there no parents from Margao schools speaking? Is there a political link to the situation?

Does “FORCE” know what has been the topic of discussion between the Bishop and the corrupt CM of Goa? If yes, then we Goan parents need to know it too. DON’T KEEP YOUR CARDS CLOSE TO YOUR CHEST BUT BE TRUE TO YOUR COMMITMENT.

Do you think long term plans would suffice to keep the issue alive? Is FORCE trying to buy time and for what?

Besides lengthy speeches, Goans also require to know what FORCE has accomplished, from what has been discussed at previous meetings. Along with long term plans, you also need to have short term plans in place, cause you “need to strike when the iron is hot”, or else your fighting a losing battle.

Last but not the least; I suppose “FORCE” is a forum, free from political interference that is meant to tackle the “medium of instruction” without vested interests from any office bearer. If this is true, then how come, the forum has taken on board an individual with a political inclination? What assurance do we goans have that this platform would not be used for political purposes or else why are they buying time. Yes , I may sound a bit rude, but trust me, this stems from the fact that the forum is unnecessarily dragging it’s feet on the issue, by calling for meetings , with the same words repeatedly spoken and the same resolution taken. Don’t waste precious time of people in this way, resolve to have an action plan in place, to spark a result oriented reaction and share it with the people. As long as you have done your homework, spies in the crowd shouldn’t bother you, so why are you holding back the plans? I AM NOT HERE TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS with vested interests AND POLITICAL PARTIES who have been the root cause of this mess, but I am here to fight for a common cause and that is “ENGLISH” to be included as the “medium of instruction” based on parent’s choice, as already passed on to Mr. Savio Lopes himself. It is the ABE that should address this issue immediately before the fire is turned off.

It may hurt, but it is also said “THE TRUTH HURTS”.