ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

Saffron agenda lands Goan minister in soup

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panaji

What happens in Delhi happens in Goa too -- though at a lower scale.

Thus, we had the education ministers conference in the Capital where MPs behaved like juveniles at circus.

In parody, what do we have in Panaji but a nice, cheery fight between the new coalition government and the Congress opposition?

Start of trouble: Congress allegation that Education Minister Prakash Velip -- incidentally, a non-Bharatiya Janata Party chap - is giving silent approval to the Centre's plan for a saffron educational agenda all over.

The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party minister, however, claimed he has no idea what the talk is about. Any attempt to bring in Hindutva agenda, he assured for good measure, would be opposed tooth and nail.

The MGP is part of Goa's new government led by Dr Wilfred de Souza, a Congressman till three months ago. The BJP supports it from outside. The Congress, naturally, does not leave any opportunity to accuse de Souza, a self-styled leader of Catholics, of falling prey to BJP designs.

The current accusation stems from the fact that Velip did not walk out of the Delhi conference with other "secular-minded" ministers. This, claimed Opposition leader Luizinho Faleiro, was a sure sign of his silent approval to the BJP's sinister plans.

"It is an attempt to alienate Goan minorities, Catholics and Muslims," Faleiro charged, appealing to all secular-minded Goans to be on guard.

Velip, for his part, says there's no fear of saffron tinge entering the state's education as he is continuing to implement the education policy inherited from the Congress. The only change is the plan to incorporate the nine points which the recent conference had decided on.

Velip also sees no point in opposing the Saraswati Vandana since it was being recited in state institutions for several years now.

"The question of opposing Hindutva designs did not arise since no such issue, directly or indirectly, was discussed at the conference," he clarified.

Tell us what you think of this report