Ex-Goa RSS leader defiant as BJP struggles to retain Christian vote bank

Ex-Goa RSS leader defiant as BJP struggles to retain Christian vote bank
Sakal Times CAMIL PARKHE | Wednesday, 7 September 2016 AT 09:37 AM IST
    
blog, in my opinion, Subhash Velingkar, RSS, BJP, Goa election, assembly election, Manohar Parrikar,Camil Parkhe, Sakal Times
Although this is not the first time that an RSS leader has defied the organisation, the gauntlet thrown by ex-Goa RSS chief Subhash Velingkar is indeed unprecedented in many ways. Velingkar’s defiance has put RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and BJP President Amit Shah in a quandary and at the same time, puts a question mark over the fate of Goa’s ruling party BJP in the imminent State Assembly polls. The unrepentant stance of Velingkar and his supporters has placed both Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on a sticky wicket.

Soon after he was unceremoniously removed from the post of chief of Goa RSS unit, Velingkar became very vocal on his role in strengthening the base of the organisation in the State and also how he had groomed both Parrikar and Parsekar in the Sangh Parivar. The reason for Velingkar’s sacking is stated to be the black flags shown by Velingkar-led Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) to Amit Shah during the latter’s visit to Goa. Velingkar has clarified that the black flags were not intended for the BJP chief but for Parrikar and Parsekar who have not been following in Goa the RSS policy of introducing mother tongue (Konkani and Marathi in Goa) as a medium of instruction in government-aided schools. The sacked RSS leader said that the BJP government has not kept the promise made in its election manifesto.

The issue of medium of instruction has been simmering in Goa for the past more than a year. The BBSM intensified its agitation and held meetings to garner people’s support and to corner the government on the issue. Velingkar had then urged Parsekar to share the BBSM’s dais to express support for the cause. However, both Parrikar and Parsekar disowned their former mentor with both of them clearly ruling out withdrawing government funds to English medium schools in the State.

Parrikar and Parsekar were aware of the Sangh Parivar’s avowed policy on medium of instruction in government-run or government-aided schools. But they had their own political compulsions.

There is more than meets the eye in the RSS-backed row over the medium of instruction. For the past many years, Goa government has been funding the private-owned English medium schools in the State. A majority of these English medium schools are owned by the Catholic Church. The medium of instruction row has thus no longer remained mere linguistic but has become a communal issue. The BBSM agitation is perceived as being aimed against the Catholic Church.

In the 2012 Goa polls, Parrikar succeeded in introducing social engineering by successfully wooing the Catholic community to the BJP camp. Over one-fourth population in Goa is Christian. The social engineering paid rich dividends with six Catholics winning the Assembly seats on BJP tickets, helping the party win a majority for the first time in the 40-member House. Therefore, Parrikar and now Parsekar did not permit the RSS-affiliated BBSM to spoil its chances to retain power in the State polls slated early next year.

It is therefore said that Parrikar and Parsekar have succeeded in mounting pressure on the Sangh Parivar to reign in its Goa RSS chief for the sake of retaining political power in the State. But the damage has already been done. It will require more political skills on the part of Parrikar and Parsekar, this time, to retain the Catholic vote bank with the BJP and also to fight the anti-incumbency factor.

ISSUE OF MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION
The issue of medium of instruction has been simmering in Goa for the past more than a year. The Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch had intensified its agitation and had a series of meetings in the state to garner people’s support and to corner the government on the issue. ex-Goa RSS chief Subhash Velingkar had then urged Parsekar to share the BBSM’s dais to express his support to the cause. However, both Parrikar and Parsekar disowned their former mentor with both of them clearly ruling out withdrawing government funds to English medium schools in the State.



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