Subhash Velingkar
{{Short description|Indian politician and teacher (born 1948)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox person
|honorific-prefix =
| name = Subhash Velingkar
| birth_name = Subhash Bhaskar Velingkar
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{bda|1948|10|7|df=y}}
| birth_place = Nova Goa, Goa, Portuguese India
| nationality = {{ubl|
- Portuguese
(until 1961) - Indian (from 1961)}}
| party = Goa Suraksha Manch (since 2016)
| otherparty =
| spouse = {{marriage|Sushma Velingkar||2020|end=died}} remarried
| children = 4
| alma_mater = Shivaji University (M.A.)
| occupation = {{hlist|Politician|teacher}}
| website =
| organisation = {{ubl|
- Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
- Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch
- Hindu Raksha Maha Aghadi
}}
}}
Subhash Bhaskar Velingkar (born 7 October 1948){{Cite web |last=Narayan |first=Tara |date=2021-06-25 |title=Down Memory Lane with SUBHASH VELINGKAR, A MAN MUCH WRONGED! |url=https://www.goanobserver.in/2021/06/25/down-memory-lane-with-subhash-velingkar-a-man-much-wronged/ |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=Goan Observer |language=en-US}} is an Indian politician and teacher who is a former member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist organization based in India. He belongs to the Gomantak Maratha Samaj community from Goa. It was under his leadership, Goa Prant of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was formed.{{Cite web|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/politics/rebel-rss-leader-subhash-velingkar-floats-goa-suraksha-manch-116100200435_1.html|title=Rebel Goa RSS leader Velingkar launches Goa Suraksha Manch|first=Sanjay|last=Jog|date=October 2, 2016|via=Business Standard}}{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Goa-Suraksha-Manch-and-Shiv-Sena-join-hands-to-contest-Goa-Assembly-elections/articleshow/55625090.cms|title=Shiv Sena: Goa Suraksha Manch and Shiv Sena join hands to contest Goa Assembly elections | Goa News - Times of India|website=The Times of India}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/sena-joins-hands-with-rss-rebel-s-outfit-to-take-on-bjp-in-goa-116112500728_1.html|title=Sena joins hands with RSS rebel's outfit to take on BJP in Goa|agency=Press Trust of India|date=November 25, 2016|via=Business Standard}}{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/goa-suraksha-manch-claims-it-has-support-of-rss-cadre-for-state-polls/|title=Goa Suraksha Manch claims it has support of RSS cadre for state polls|date=November 8, 2016}}
Career
Velingkar launched Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch an organization which promoted Konkani and Marathi in schools and the withdrawal of grants to English medium schools in the state of the Goa. He opposed the decision of then-Chief Minister of Goa Digambar Kamat-led government to provide grants to primary level English schools which was opposed by fellow politician Manohar Parrikar and other opposition leaders. After Bharatiya Janata Party-Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party alliance emerged victorious in the 2012 Goa Legislative Assembly election, they continued the grants which Velingkar opposed and subsequently dropped from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as the Goa chief due to his decision to float a political party. In protest 400 volunteers of the RSS resigned.{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/politics/rebel-rss-leader-subhas-velingkar-floats-goa-suraksha-manch-party-ahead-of-assembly-polls-3030680.html|title=Rebel RSS leader Subhas Velingkar floats Goa Suraksha Manch party ahead of assembly polls|website=Firstpost}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/politics/goa-assembly-election-2017-bjp-congress-aap-pitted-against-each-other-in-this-coastal-state-3193870.html|title=Goa Assembly election 2017: BJP, Congress, AAP pitted against each other in this coastal state|website=Firstpost}}
On 2 October 2016, Velingkar officially launched Goa Suraksha Manch but neither held any post and did not contest 2017 Goa Legislative Assembly election. He contested the Panaji Assembly constituency in the by-election in 2019 as a member of the Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) and received 516 votes only.{{Cite web|url=http://myneta.info/goa2017/candidate.php?candidate_id=316|title=Subhash Bhaskar Velingkar(Goa Suraksha Manch):Constituency- PANAJI : BYE ELECTION ON 19-05-2019(NORTH GOA) - Affidavit Information of Candidate:|website=myneta.info}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/BBSM-demands-cannot-be-met-due-to-administrative-reasons-Parrikar/103239.html|title=BBSM demands cannot be met due to administrative reasons: Parrikar|website=oHeraldo}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.navhindtimes.in/bbsm-is-making-moi-an-ego-issue-parrikar/|title=BBSM is making MoI an ego issue: Parrikar|work=The Navhind Times}}
Culture war of "Goencho Saib"
The controversy was initiated by Velingkar, the Hindu Raksha Maha Aghadi chief. He stated that Saint Francis Xavier was instrumental in bringing in the Goa Inquisition during colonial rule.{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/amid-goencho-saib-row-cm-says-focused-on-harmony-equality/articleshow/91326785.cms |title= Amid Goencho Saib row, Goa CM Pramod Sawant says focused on .. }} "Goencho Saib" can be translated into English from Konkani as, "Goencho" from Goa or Goan origin whereas "Saib" means "patron", thus means Goan patron for Goan Catholics. Velingkar continued that, instead of Saint Francis Xavier being known as Goencho Saib, the Hindu sage Parashurama deserved the title.{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/amid-goencho-saib-row-cm-says-focused-on-harmony-equality/articleshow/91326785.cms |title= Amid Goencho Saib row, Goa CM Pramod Sawant says focused on .. }}{{Cite web|url= https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/my-saint-is-better-heated-debate-over-parshuram-francis-xaviers-legacy-in-goa-1105306.html |title= My saint is better: Heated debate over Parshuram, Francis Xavier's legacy in Goa}}
The reaction to this synthetic narrative was swift. Viresh Borkar, newly elected MLA of Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP), accused the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) of being involved with Velingkar in creating the controversy. {{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/amid-goencho-saib-row-cm-says-focused-on-harmony-equality/articleshow/91326785.cms |title= Amid Goencho Saib row, Goa CM Pramod Sawant says focused on .. }} The Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant added, his government is focused on keeping harmony and equality, which is characteristic to Goa.{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/amid-goencho-saib-row-cm-says-focused-on-harmony-equality/articleshow/91326785.cms |title= Amid Goencho Saib row, Goa CM Pramod Sawant says focused on .. }}