Goa RSS chief Subhash Velingkar: Manohar Parrikar grew up under me, he has cheated us

READ: Chief removed for party plan, Goa RSS rebels

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As a karyavaha in 1988, Velingkar credits himself with having groomed a few swayamsevaks and karyakarthas for the BJP, including Manohar Parrikar (later Goa chief minister and now Union Minister for Defence ) as well as current Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Union minister Sripad Naik and Goa minister Rajendra Arlekar. “I was administrative head, and it was my responsibility to give them exposure to public interactions. Parrikar used to accompany me during my political visits and he was a keen observer,” Velingkar said.

The RSS decision follows the decision of the Bharatiya Basha Suraksha Manch, of which Velingkar is a key member, to float a political party to contest against the ruling BJP in the 2017 elections. The BBSM is campaigning for the vernacular Konkani and Marathi as the mediums of instruction in primary schools, and withdrawal of grants to English medium schools. It has been criticising the BJP leadership including Chief Minister Parsekar and Union minister Parrikar.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar earlier served as Goa chief minister. PTI Photo

Velingkar said he finds it very difficult to accept that Parrikar, who “grew up under my guidance”, has “cheated” him, BBSM and the people of Goa after making “fake pre-poll promises” to implement the mother tongue as the medium of instruction and to revoke grants to English medium schools. “He flaunts himself as leader of the minorities, champions Catholic votes and brags at the Centre that he bagged a 34 per cent majority in the 2012 polls. It was the Hindus who had cross-voted for him in 2012, cutting across party lines. People were impressed with his famous 100-minute speech on how English as medium would affect our culture.”

Velingkar had waved a black flag at BJP national president Amit Shah when he visited the state. “Yes, I had raised a black flag but not to protest against Amit Shah. It was to draw his attention to injustice, cheating and the U-turn by Parrikar on the medium-of-instruction issue. The black flag was for Parrikar, of course,” he said.

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Velingkar said the BBSM will not change its stance and will go to polls either with BJP ally MGP or independently. “Parrikar has discarded all principles and the BJP is disillusioned under him. There is a large silent majority among RSS and BJP workers, sitting MLAs, and the general public, who will not speak now but will show the BJP its place in 2017,” he said.

Velingkar, who was elevated as Goa vibhag sanghachalak in 1996, has served in that post unopposed for nearly 20 years, before the removal Wednesday.

Reflecting on his background, Velingkar said he was among 50 karyakartas arrested under the stringent law MISA in 1975, during Emergency. He spent 10 months in jail.

Velingkar has served 34 years as a teacher, including seven years as a headmaster and 18 years as principal. “As an educationist, it is difficult for me to accept that the government is opposed to the universally accepted principle of the medium of instruction being the mother tongue, which is even upheld by UNESCO,” he said. “Other than countries dominated by English colonial rulers, just look at the developed nations: Germany, Japan, China, Russia. Everything from the lowest to the highest degrees of education is imparted in the mother tongue. We are just asking for primary education in mother tongue, so that people are aware of their culture.”