Headlines
Church body slammed for minority-only delegation
Panaji, June 12
The AAP in Goa has slammed the
Diocesan Society of Education, a Church-linked organization that runs
the highest number of schools in Goa, for "summoning" only Catholic MLAs
across party lines to discuss education-related issues pending with the
BJP-led coalition government.
"The AAP Goa expresses its
disappointment with the decision of the church body Diocesan Society of
Education to selectively invite only Catholic MLAs to air its grievances
against the current government's educational bias against minority-run
institutions in the state," AAP spokesperson Oscar Rebello said on
Friday.
On Thursday, Fr. Zeferino D'Souza, secretary of society,
one of the most influential educational collective in the state
operating over 130 schools, had invited nine Catholic legislators from
Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Goa Vikas Party, other
Independents and two ministers, for a meeting which also specifically
discussed the delay in granting of permissions to four higher secondary
schools run by the Society.
While claiming that the Society had
good relations with the current government, as well as other governments
in the past, D'Souza said, the Catholic MLAs had been asked to request
the chief minister to expedite "pending issues".
"The discussion
would be held with chief minister (CM) regarding education and various
State Environment minister Alina Saldanha, one of the nine Catholic
legislators, who attended the meeting on Thursday, however hinted that
the DSE may have erred in summoning a Catholic-only delegation for a
meeting which dealt with education-related issues.
"It has been
decided by everybody that all MLAs will be called to the next meeting,
because education is an issue which sees no communities. It is across
communities," Saldanha said.
measures to improve the education field. Some practical difficulties are
encountered we want government to look into it. We want CM to resolve
these issues," D'Souza said.
The influential Roman Catholic
Church in Goa is a spiritual guide to nearly 26 per cent of the state's
population which is Catholic and has crucial socio-political influence.
Over
the years, the role of the Goa Church, especially around election time,
has been critical. After winning the 2012 Lok Sabha elections, top BJP
leaders claimed on record, that the role of the Church had been critical
in swinging a significant section of the Catholic vote, which is
traditionally a Congress votebank, towards the saffron party.
When
asked to comment about the flak faced by the Church body for the
summoning of Catholic MLAs, state Congress president Luizinho Faleiro
told IANS: "Last time everybody were against Congress. They supported
these MLAs, so they have every right to ask these MLAs whom they have
supported (during elections)".