Panaji, Oct 18 (TNN): Goan writer and Padma Shri awardee Maria Aurora Couto has issued a statement on Saturday expressing fear that Goa is getting polarized on communal lines over the medium of instruction (MoI) issue at the primary school level. Calling it an 'ugly' turn of events, she has said that the protest should be directed towards the ruling leaders instead of vilifying any community.

"The Padma Shri is a national honour which gives me a platform to speak out in times like these. It is imperative that we address our protest directly to ruling leaders who are either silent or deflect the issue and have allowed the fringe to occupy centre stage," Couto, writer of various books including 'Goa: A Daughter's Story', said.

She said she fears that the communal tensions building up nationally are sneaking its way into Goa and that "the communal virus if allowed to infiltrate the Goan psyche will not leave a Goa we wish our children to inherit."

"I am deeply saddened by the spiraling descent into communalism in Goa among my friends who have valiantly fought for secularism and liberal values all their lives. I pray they do not get derailed into converting their stated position on MoI into an ugly polarization between Goa's two major communities. Intolerance which is vitiating the air nationally will do irreparable damage to Goa's legendary secular ethos. Debate and dissent by all means, but do not vilify an entire community and its leaders,"Couto said. By friends, Couto is referring to regional language writers protesting in favour of state grants for primary schools teaching in regional languages only.

The public debate over whether state grants to English medium primary schools should continue has led to the formation of two factions. The movement for grants to English medium primary schools mainly involves schools of the Diocesan Society of Education and Archdiocesan Board of Education, which are organs of the Church.